MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF PHYTOREMEDIATION OF CRUDE OIL CONTAMINED SOILS - IPEC FUNDED PROJECT

Greg Thoma*

University of Arkansas
Department of Chemical Engineering
3202 Bell Engineering Center
Fayetteville, AR
Voice: 479-575-4951
Fax: 479-575-7926
E-mail: gthoma@uark.edu

Duane Wolf
Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR

Susan Ziegler
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR

A mathematical model of phytoremediation based on exploration of contaminated soils by grass species root systems has been developed. Both temperature and soil moisture affect the degradation kinetics, and have been incorporated into the model. We will present a comparison of the model predictions driven by the site specific weather and rooting patterns to observed decreases in contaminant concentration at several of the national Remediation Technologies Development Forum sites. The effects of different treatments at on the fitted degradation rates will also be presented.