A perturbation solution for bacterial growth and bioremediation in a porous medium with bio-clogging

We investigate a flow problem of relevance in bioremediation and develop amathematical model for transport of contamination by groundwater and the spreading, confinement, and remediation of chemical waste. The model is based on the fluid mass and momentum balance equations and simultaneous transport and consumption of the pollutant (hydrocarbon) and nutrient (oxygen). Particular emphasis is placed on the study of processes involving the full coupling of reaction, transport and mechanical effects. Dimensional analysis and asymptotic reduction are used to simplify the governing equations, which are then solved numerically. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.