Impact of building thermal load on the bioremediation potential of ground source heat pump systems for monoaromatic hydrocarbon contaminants in different Canadian climates

Iman Roohidehkordi, Magdalena M. Krol

Dans les comptes rendus d’articles de la conférence: GeoNiagara 2021: 74th Canadian Geotechnical Conference; 14th joint with IAH-CNC

ABSTRACT: The emergence of environmental dilemmas like air pollution and global warming has increased environmental awareness and triggered a paradigm shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources in recent years. Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are one of the most reliable and promising renewable technologies used for heating and cooling of buildings since they employ omnipresent low-enthalpy heat from shallow subsurface. In addition to their benefits in terms of efficiency and sustainability, the injected heat could be utilized as a bioremediation-enhancing strategy for contaminants that are susceptible to heat treatments like monoaromatic hydrocarbons. In this research, a 3D numerical model is developed in FEFLOW based on a 3-story office building located in 3 Canadian cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Windsor, and temperature-dependent biodegradation kinetics are employed in a coupled flow, heat and mass transport simulation to study the effect of heat from the GSHP on a benzene contaminant spill's fate and transport. The results revealed that the elevated temperatures resulting from ground source heat pump's operation can significantly enhance biodegradation of monoaromatic hydrocarbon contaminants like benzene within one year of GSHP operation. Moreover, a direct correlation between building thermal load and reduction in contaminant concentration was observed with less remediation potential found in temperate climates. This shows the importance of heating and cooling demand analysis when exploring the bioremediation benefits of GSHP systems.

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