US Patent 7550085 Bioventing remediation method

Bioventing methods create a bacterial treatment zone at a contaminated site by supplying a hydrocarbon food source to the treatment zone, and recirculating the hydrocarbon to the treatment zone. The inventing methods may inject, circulate, extract and reinject hydrocarbons such as butane or other alkanes to the subsurface at a contaminated site to create a bacterial treatment zone. Contaminated vapors extracted from the soil and/or groundwater may be reintroduced into the site. Hydrocarbons that are not consumed by the bacteria in the treatment zone may be extracted and recovered for recirculation into the treatment zone.