ABSTRACT
In order to describe the natural attenuation of diesel in igneous rock, an extraction method for analysis of n-alkanes in rock was developed. By using triple tube drilling it was possible to sample hard rock aseptically without contamination risk. Anaerobic microcosm studies of nitrate-, iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria with fracture surfaces as inocula were performed. The results showed that the major transport of diesel in igneous rock is through fractures and not by diffusion through the rock. The growth studies indicated that iron-reducing bacteria might play an important role in the natural attenuation of diesel in this system. The groundwater chemistry revealed that also sulfate-reducing bacteria are involved in the degradation.
