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r <br />ATTACHMENT B <br />OVERVIEW OF OXYGEN DIFFUSION TREATMENT <br />The treatment is the application of a patented method developed at the University of <br />Waterloo by Drs. D. Mackay and R Wilson, that uses oxygen diffusion to increase biological <br />activity and the biodegradation of TPH, BTEX, and MtBE in groundwater. It works as an in - <br />well remediation system that forms an oxygen diffusion halo around the treatment well. <br />Details of the oxygen diffuser are described in the attached patent (Attachment Q. <br />The system uses sealed low density polyethylene (LDPE) tubing charged with 60 pounds per <br />square inch (psi) of oxygen to diffuse oxygen into the treatment well at an equilibrium <br />concentration of approximately 30 milligrams per liter (mg/L or ppm). The tubing is coiled <br />around a cylinder that fits into a 2 or 4 -inch diameter well. Oxygen diffuses through the <br />walls of the tubing into the water without bubbling or going into a separate phase. The <br />oxygen is fed from an oxygen tank that fits inside a 4 -inch diameter well. The University of <br />. Waterloo design will be altered to include a downhole low -flow pump that will increase the <br />radius of influence of the dissolved oxygen to approximately 10 or 15 feet. Water pumped <br />from the bottom of the well, travels up the well past coils of LDPE tubing up to the screened <br />interval at the groundwater surface where it mounds and increases water flow out of the well <br />into the surrounding sediments. The treatment radius of influence is assumed to be 1.5 times <br />the distance between the inlet and outlet point. Assuming that the pump is placed ten feet <br />below the groundwater surface, the treatment radius can be approximately 10 to 15 feet <br />depending on the site lithology. <br />An oxygen enrichment system was applied at a site with similar lithology and the resultant <br />radius of influence reported for high oxygen was approximately 15 feet. The presence of <br />elevated concentrations of TPH and BTEX has been shown in benchscale studies to decrease <br />the efficiency of oxygen dispersion and decrease the efficiency of MtBE degradation. It is <br />anticipated that the pump and treat system in the source area in addition to the vapor <br />extraction system will increase both oxygenation and hydrocarbon removal. The result will <br />be a lower oxygen demand in the treatment area around the oxygen diffusion wells and a <br />higher effective radius of influence for treatment. <br />• <br />