Comparisons of degradation kinetics of chloroethenes in groundwater between microcosms and field scale

International audienceGroundwater pollution by chlorinated solvents is a major concern since several years. It has been demonstrated that in specific physicochemical conditions, microbial processes like direct reductive dechlorination allow contamination reduction at several sites. Therefore, determination of biodegradation kinetics of chloroethenes is crucial in applying Natural Attenuation protocols on contaminated sites and assessing the potential risks for human health and natural media Biodegradation of chlorinated solvents is effective in highly reduced conditions, which rarely concerns the whole contaminant plume. In this study, direct reductive dechlorination of chloroethenes was studied on two different scales, on microcosms in the laboratory and at the real scale that corresponds to the contaminated site Microcosms studies were conducted in three different ways. (1) sediments sampled from the site and mixed with groundwater modified or not by a synthetic electron donor (Na propionate, Na lactate, toluene), (2) composite sediments coming from several places of the site mixed with groundwater modified or not by a synthetic electron donor; (3) autoclaved sediments and groundwater modified or not by synthetic organic matter. Studies on the real scale were conducted by the achievement of a synthesis of historical data (hydrogeological, geological and physicochemical data) of a polluted site. The synthesis of physicochemical data and then modelling the real site revealed the presence of degradation products of chloroethenes in the plume : cis-1,2-DCE and VC The results of comparisons of degradation kinetics obtained on the laboratory and the field under the same physicochemical conditions showed significant differences. Indeed, biodegradation of chlorinated solvents were faster in lab studies than in the field at the global scale. The existence of chlorinated ethenes biotransformation in microcosms confirmed the presence of a bacterial population able to catalyse reductive dechlorination reaction until CV. It is also likely that the bacterial consortium permitted to degrade other species like electron acceptors; detection of sulphide ions and Fe(II) and the presence of a black precipitate of FeS are proofs of sulphate reducing, ferro reducing and dechlorinating activities. The clear difference that there is between kinetics of degradation on microcosms and field scale could be explained by differences in chemical conditions that are not optimal everywhere in the plume of pollutants. The differences of chemical conditions (electron acceptors, type of natural organic matter, pH, redox potential...) are investigated in details to explain the differences in kinetic constant

Polyphased mesozoic rifting from the Atlas to the north-west Africa paleomargin.

24 pagesInternational audienceBased on the interpretation of geological maps, seismic reflection and well data complemented with a bibliographic compilation and field work in the Rif, we investigate the factors that control the rift initiation, its development and the formation of oceanic crust in NW Africa. From SE to NW, we examine the Western Sahara Atlas, the Tendrara, the Guercif, and the Rif basins, to establish their geodynamic evolution in relation with the Mesozoic formation of the Central Atlantic and Maghrebian Tethys oceans, respectively. The Triassic extension was diffuse and developed over Lower Carboniferous horst-and-graben structures formed in the NW passive margin of Gondwana and involved in the subsequent late Carboniferous – early Permian Variscan orogenic system; suggesting that, at the onset of the Triassic rifting, the lithosphere was thermally re-equilibrated and replaced by more fertile lithospheric mantle. Afterwards, extension resumed in the Atlas system during middle to late Pliensbachian and finished during Toarcian. In the Rif and Guercif basins, the extension began later, mainly during the Toarcian, climaxing during Middle Jurassic times with the exhumation along low-angle extensional faults of CAMP gabbroic bodies and the final mantle exhumation during Upper Jurassic in the Rif. The study evidences the prominent role of the Variscan structural and thermal inheritance on the subsequent deformation events. Accordingly, the Paleozoic inverted basins and horsts localized the Triassic extension. From that, the opening of the Central Atlantic and Maghrebian Tethys oceans activated, respectively, the SE (Atlas) and NW (Tethys) rifted segments of the weakened continental crust where the Jurassic extension was gradually distributed. This led to the final formation of an oceanic domain in the NW paleomargin of Africa