The horizontal reactive media treatment well (HRX Well®) for passive in situ remediation: Design,implementation, and sustainability considerations

A new in situ remediation concept termed a Horizontal Reactive Media Treatment Well (HRX Well^®) is presented that utilizes a horizontal well filled with reactive media to passively treat contaminated groundwater in situ. The approach involves the use of a large‐diameter directionally drilled horizontal well filled with solid reactive media installed parallel to the direction of groundwater flow. The engineered contrast in hydraulic conductivity between the high in‐well reactive media and the ambient aquifer hydraulic conductivity results in the passive capture, treatment, and discharge back to the aquifer of proportionally large volumes of groundwater. Capture and treatment widths of up to tens of feet can be achieved for many aquifer settings, and reductions in downgradient concentrations and contaminant mass flux are nearly immediate. Many different types of solid‐phase reactive treatment media are already available (zero valent iron, granular activated carbon, biodegradable particulate organic matter, slow‐release oxidants, ion exchange resins, zeolite, apatite, etc.). Therefore, this concept could be used to address a wide range of contaminants. Laboratory and pilot‐scale test results and numerical flow and transport model simulations are presented that validate the concept. The HRX Well can access contaminants not accessible by conventional vertical drilling and requires no aboveground treatment or footprint and requires limited ongoing maintenance. A focused feasibility evaluation and alternatives analysis highlights the potential cost and sustainability advantages of the HRX Well compared to groundwater extraction and treatment systems or funnel and gate permeable reactive barrier technologies for long‐term plume treatment. This paper also presents considerations for design and implementation for a planned upcoming field installation.     

The treatment of contaminated water at remedial wood preserving sites

Contaminated groundwater and surface water have posed a great challenge in restoring wood preserving sites to beneficial use. Often contaminated groundwater plumes extend far beyond the legal property limits, adversely impacting drinking water supplies and crop lands. To contain, treat, and/or remediate these valuable resources is an important part of restoring these impacted sites. Various options are available for remediating the groundwater and other affected media at these sites. Frequently, pump and treat technologies have been used that can provide well‐head treatment at installed extraction wells. This approach has shown to be costly and excessively time consuming. Some of the technologies used for pump and treat are granular activated carbon (GAC), biotreatment, and chemical oxidation. Other approaches use in‐situ treatment applications that include enhanced bioremediation, monitored natural attenuation (biotic and abiotic), and chemical reduction/fixation. Ultimately, it may only be feasible, economically or practicably, to use hydraulic containment systems. Depending upon site‐specific conditions, these treatment approaches can be used in various combinations to offer the best remedial action. A comparison of water treatment system costs extrapolated from the treatability studies performed on contaminated groundwater from the McCormick/Baxter Superfund site in Stockton, California, yielded operation and maintenance costs of $1.19/1,000 gal. for carbon treatment and $7.53/1,000 gal. for ultraviolet (UV) peroxidation, respectively.     

A universal design approach for in situ bioremediation developed from multiple project sites

This article describes a design approach that has been developed for bioremediation of chlorinated volatile organic compound–impacted groundwater that is based upon experience gained during the past 17 years. The projects described in the article generally involve large‐scale enhanced anaerobic dechlorination (EAD) and combined aerobic/anaerobic bioremediation techniques. Our design approach is based on three primary objectives: (1) selecting and distributing the proper additives (including bioaugmentation) within the targeted treatment zone; (2) maintaining a neutral pH (and adding alkalinity when needed); and (3) sustaining the desired conditions for a sufficient period of time for the bioremediation process to be fully completed. This design approach can be applied to both anaerobic and aerobic bioremediation systems. Site‐specific conditions of hydraulic permeability, groundwater velocity, contaminant type and concentrations, and regulatory constraints will dictate the best remedial approach and design parameters for in situ bioremediation at each site. The biggest challenges to implementing anaerobic bioremediation processes are generally the selection and delivery of a suitable electron donor and the proper distribution of the donor throughout the targeted treatment zone. For aerobic bioremediation processes, complete distribution of adequate concentrations of a suitable electron acceptor, typically oxygen or oxygen‐yielding compounds such as hydrogen peroxide, is critical. These design approaches were developed based on understanding the biological processes involved and the mechanics of groundwater flow. They have evolved based on actual applications and results from numerous sites. An EAD treatment system, based on our current design approach, typically uses alcohol as a substrate, employs groundwater recirculation to distribute additives, and has an operational period of two to four years. An aerobic in situ treatment system based on our current design approach typically uses pure oxygen or hydrogen peroxide as an electron acceptor, may involve enhancements to groundwater flow for better distribution, and generally has an operational period of one to four years. These design concepts and specific project examples are presented for 17 sites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Stratigraphic flux—A method for determining preferential pathways for complex sites

Experience with groundwater remediation over several decades has demonstrated that successful outcomes depend on quantitative conceptual site models (CSMs). Over the last 30 years, we have progressed from groundwater pump‐and‐treat remedies, which were largely designed based on a water supply perspective, to in situ and combined remedy strategies, which are only beginning to benefit from understanding the aquifer architecture and distribution of contaminant mass to assess plume maturity, mass flux, and more reliable means of fate and transport assessment. The U.S. Air Force funded the development of the Stratigraphic Flux approach to provide a framework for understanding contaminant transport pathways at its complex sites and enable more reliable and cost‐effective remediation. Stratigraphic Flux enables the development of quantitative, flux‐based CSMs that are founded in sequence stratigraphy, and high‐resolution hydraulic conductivity and contaminant distribution measurements. The result is a three‐dimensional graphical mapping of relative contaminant flux and classification of transport potential that is easy for all stakeholders to understand. The Stratigraphic Flux graphical model is based on a hydrofacies classification system that describes transport potential in three segments of the aquifer: transport zones—where the majority of groundwater flow occurs and transport rates are measured in feet per day; slow advection zones—where transport rates are measured in feet per year; and storage zones—where typically less than 1% of flow occurs, and diffusion dominates contaminant transport. The hydrofacies architectures are based on stratigraphy and transport potential is defined by grouping facies by orders of magnitude classes in hydraulic conductivity. By combining the hydrofacies architecture with contaminant concentration distributions, one can map relative contaminant flux to define and target the complex pathways that control contaminant transport and cleanup behavior. In this article, we describe the Stratigraphic Flux framework, focusing on the key information needed and the methods of analysis. We illustrate the results of its application to evaluate migration pathways for trichlorethylene and chromium at a former chrome pit at Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth, Texas. A comprehensive guidance document that describes the approach with a broad spectrum of tools and several site examples can be requested from the authors.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance logging: Example applications of an emerging tool for environmental investigations

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) geophysical tools have been widely used in the petroleum exploration industry since the 1960s and have improved significantly in the last two decades. These tools can provide estimates of bulk porosity and fluid content, quantification of bound versus mobile fluids, and estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K). Although the size and cost of oil‐field tools historically limited their use for near‐surface applications, smaller and more economical downhole NMR logging tools are now available for detecting and characterizing the formation water content and K to support environmental and groundwater resource investigations. These tools can be deployed using direct‐push drilling techniques or they can be lowered into existing open borings or wells with nonconductive polyvinyl chloride casings and screens. In many cases, using the tool in existing wells offers a safer and more cost‐effective alternative compared to drilling new boreholes. For environmental investigations, NMR can provide useful high‐resolution quantitative hydrostratigraphic information that can provide additional valuable data to further inform and refine the conceptual site model. This paper highlights several NMR field investigations that demonstrate the viability of this technology as a site characterization tool for near‐surface investigations. NMR measurements were compared to data from lithologic logs, cone penetrometer testing data, and prior field hydraulic tests. Use of NMR to detect vadose zone water, including previously unidentified perched groundwater zones, provided hydrostratigraphic details that could not be gleaned from historical well drilling logs and were used to evaluate drainable pore water versus pore water bound in small pores by capillary forces or electrochemically clay‐bond water. NMR also produced K estimates similar to those from conventional hydraulic tests, but the improved vertical resolution from NMR provided additional information regarding the vertical heterogeneity of the formation along the entire length of the well or borehole. Additionally, bench‐scale tests are presented that confirm the capability for NMR to reliably detect and quantify light nonaqueous phase liquid saturation (specifically diesel fuel and weathered gasoline) in situ. The field tests combined with bench‐scale testing results affirm the applicability and potential for NMR as a practical characterization tool that should increasingly be utilized in environmental investigations.     

Conceptual Site Model Development and Phased Remedy Implementation to Achieve Vapor Screening Goals at a Former Dry Cleaner

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) releases at a former dry cleaner resulted in impacts to soil and shallow groundwater beneath and adjacent to the building. Subsurface impacts led to vapor intrusion with PCE concentrations between 900 and 1,200 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) in indoor air. The migration pathways of impacted soil vapor were evaluated through implementation of a helium tracer test and vapor sampling of an exterior concrete block wall. Results confirmed that the concrete block wall acted as a conduit for vapor intrusion into the building. A combination of remediation efforts focused on mass reduction in the source area as well as mitigation efforts to inhibit vapor migration into the building. Excavation of soils beneath the floor slab and installation of a spray‐applied vapor barrier resulted in PCE concentrations in indoor air decreasing by over 97.9 percent. Operation of an active ventilation system installed under the floor slab and groundwater remediation via injections of nano‐scale zero valent iron (nZVI) further reduced PCE concentrations in indoor air by over 99.8 percent compared to baseline conditions. While significant reductions of PCE concentrations in groundwater were observed within two months after injection, maximum reductions to PCE concentrations in indoor air were not observed for an additional 12 months. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Aerobic Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in High Temperature and Saline Groundwater

A series of laboratory microcosm experiments and a field pilot test were performed to evaluate the potential for aerobic biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons and methyl tert‐butyl ether (MtBE; a common oxygenate additive in gasoline) in saline, high temperature (>30° C) groundwater. Aquifer, sediment, and groundwater samples from two sites, one in Canada and another in Saudi Arabia, were incubated for 106 days to evaluate the changes in select hydrocarbon and MtBE concentrations and microbial community structure. Almost complete biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbons was found in the Saudi Arabian microcosm samples whereas the Canadian microcosm samples showed no significant biodegradation during the laboratory testing. MtBE degradation was not observed in either set of microcosms. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses showed that, while the Canadian microorganisms were the most diverse, they showed little response during incubation. The microbial communities for the Saudi Arabian sample contained significant numbers of microorganisms capable of hydrocarbon degradation which increased during incubation. Based on the laboratory results, pilot‐scale testing at the Saudi Arabian field site was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced aerobic biodegradation on a high temperature, saline petroleum hydrocarbon plume. Dissolved oxygen was delivered to the subsurface using a series of oxygen diffusion emitters installed perpendicular to groundwater flow, which created a reactive zone. Results obtained from the seven‐month field trial indicated that all the target compounds decreased with removal percentages varying between 33 percent for the trimethylbenzenes to greater than 80 percent for the BTEX compounds. MtBE decreased 40 percent on average whereas naphthalene was reduced 85 percent on average. Examination of the microbial population upgradient and downgradient of the emitter reactive zone suggested that the bacteria population went from an anaerobic, sulfate‐reducing dominated population to one dominated by a heterotrophic aerobic bacteria dominant population. These studies illustrate that field aerobic biodegradation may exceed expectations derived from simple laboratory microcosm experiments. Also, high salinity and elevated groundwater temperature do not appear to inhibit in situ aerobic biorestoration. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Combined MODFLOW‐FRACTRAN Application to Assess Chlorinated Solvent Transport and Remediation in Fractured Sedimentary Rock

Detailed field investigations and numerical modeling were conducted to evaluate transport and fate of chlorinated solvent contamination in a fractured sedimentary bedrock aquifer (sandstone/siltstone/mudstone) at a Superfund site in central New Jersey. Field investigations provided information on the fractured rock system hydrogeology, including hydraulic gradients, bulk hydraulic conductivity, fracture network, and rock matrix, and on depth discrete contaminant distribution in fractures (via groundwater sampling) and matrix (via detailed subsampling of continuous cores). The numerical modeling endeavor involved application of both an equivalent porous media (EPM) model for flow and a discrete fracture network (DFN) model for transport. This combination of complementary models, informed by appropriate field data, allowed a quantitative representation of the conceptual site model (CSM) to assess relative importance of various processes, and to examine efficacy of remedial alternatives. Modeling progressed in two stages: first a large‐scale (20 km x 25 km domain) 3‐D EPM flow model (MODFLOW) was used to evaluate the bulk groundwater flow system and contaminant transport pathways under historic and current aquifer stress conditions and current stresses. Then, results of the flow model informed a 2‐D DFN transport model (FRACTRAN) to evaluate transport along a 1,000‐m flowpath from the source represented as a 2‐D vertical cross‐section. The combined model results were used to interpret and estimate the current and potential future extent of rock matrix and aqueous‐phase contaminant conditions and evaluate remedial strategies. Results of this study show strong effects of matrix diffusion and other processes on attenuating the plume such that future impacts on downgradient well fields under the hydraulic stresses modeled should be negligible. Results also showed futility of source remediation efforts in the fractured rock, and supported a technical impracticability (TI) waiver for the site. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An evaluation of permeable reactive barrier projects in California

Permeable reactive barriers made of zero‐valent iron (ZVI PRBs) have become a prominent remediation technology in addressing groundwater contamination by chlorinated solvents. Many ZVI PRBs have been installed across the United States, some as research projects, some at the pilot scale, and many at full scale. As a passive and in situ remediation technology, ZVI PRBs have many attractive features and advantages over other approaches to groundwater remediation. Ten ZVI PRBs installed in California were evaluated for their performance. Of those ten, three are discussed in greater detail to illustrate the complexities that arise when quantifying the performance of ZVI PRBs, and to provide comment on the national debate concerning the downgradient effects of source‐zone removal or treatment on plumes of contaminated groundwater. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

In‐Situ and Ex‐Situ Bioremediation Options for Treating Perchlorate in Groundwater

Perchlorate has been identified as a water contaminant in 14 states, including California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Texas, and current estimates suggest that the compound may affect the drinking water of as many as 15 million people. Biological treatment represents the most‐favorable technology for the effective and economical removal of perchlorate from water. Biological fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) have been tested successfully at the pilot scale for perchlorate treatment at several sites, and two full‐scale FBR systems are currently treating perchlorate‐contaminated groundwater in California and Texas. A third full‐scale treatment system is scheduled for start‐up in early 2002. The in‐situ treatment of perchlorate through addition of specific electron donors to groundwater also appears to hold promise as a bioremediation technology. Recent studies suggest that perchlorate‐reducing bacteria are widely occurring in nature, including in groundwater aquifers, and that these organisms can be stimulated to degrade perchlorate to below the current analytical reporting limit (< 4 μg/l) in many instances. In this article, in‐situ and ex‐situ options for biological treatment of perchlorate‐contaminated groundwater are discussed and results from laboratory and field experiments are presented. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Interconnectivity between the Superficial Aquifer and the Deep Confined Aquifers of the Gnangara Mound, Western Australia

Perth groundwater resources are obtained from three major aquifers that occur beneath the Perth metropolitan area: the Superficial aquifer, Leederville aquifer and Yarragadee aquifer. Each aquifer has a unique seasonal water level pattern controlled by soils, geomorphology and geology. Landuse is mainly responsible for variations in recharge; however, the hydraulic properties control aquifer response and water level pattern to a greater degree. Groundwater in the three aquifers is generally of very good quality except in localised areas. Salinity increases with depth and in direction of groundwater flow in the three aquifers. The best water quality is in the Superficial aquifer in the Wanneroo well field area. The geochemistry and stable isotope signatures from the three major aquifers revealed distinct water types that suggest very little hydraulic connection or mixing of waters between these aquifers at the present abstraction and recharge regimes. The results also show that the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers were recharged during earlier cooler times while the Superficial aquifer is being recharged at present.     

Application of source removal and natural attenuation remediation strategies at MGP sites in Wisconsin

This article presents site closure strategies of source material removal and dissolved‐phase groundwater natural attenuation that were applied at two manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites in Wisconsin. The source removal actions were implemented in 1999 and 2000 with groundwater monitoring activities preceding and following those actions. Both of these sites have unique geological and hydrogeological conditions. The article briefly presents site background information and source removal activities at both of these sites and focuses on groundwater analytical testing data that demonstrate remediation of dissolved‐phase MGP‐related groundwater impacts by natural attenuation. A statistical evaluation of the data supports a stable or declining MGP parameter concentration trend at each of the sites. A comparison of the site natural attenuation evaluation is made to compare with the requirements for site closure under the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulations and guidance. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Detecting and quantifying reductive dechlorination under monitored natural attenuation conditions

Field sampling and testing were used to investigate the relationship between baseline geochemical and microbial community data and in situ reductive dechlorination rates at a site contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CTET). Ten monitoring wells were selected to represent conditions along groundwater flow paths from the contaminant source zone to a wetlands groundwater discharge zone. Groundwater samples were analyzed for a suite of geochemical and microbial parameters; then push‐pull tests with fluorinated reactive tracers were conducted in each well to measure in situ reductive dechlorination rates. No exogenous electron donors were added in these tests, as the goal was to assess in situ reductive dechlorination rates under natural attenuation conditions. Geochemical data provided preliminary evidence that reductive dechlorination of TCE and CTET was occurring at the site, and microbial data confirmed the presence of known dechlorinating organisms in groundwater. Push‐pull tests were conducted using trichlorofluoroethene (TCFE) as a reactive tracer for TCE and, in one well, trichlorofluoromethane (TCFM) as a reactive tracer for CTET. Injected TCFE was transformed to cis‐ and trans‐dichlorofluoroethene and chlorofluoroethene, and, in one test, injected TCFE was completely dechlorinated to fluoroethene (FE). In situ TCFE transformation rates ranged from less than 0.005 to 0.004/day. In the single well tested, injected TCFM was transformed in situ to dichlorofluoromethane and chlorofluoromethane; the TCFM transformation rate was estimated as 0.001/day. The results indicate that it is possible to use push‐pull tests with reactive tracers to directly detect and quantify reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes and ethanes under monitored natural attenuation conditions, which has not previously been demonstrated. Transformation rate estimates obtained with these techniques should improve the accuracy of contaminant transport modeling. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effectiveness of Capture Zones Generated by Intermittent Pumping of a PV‐Powered Pump‐and‐Treat System Without Energy Storage

A common technology to remediate and/or contain contaminated groundwater is pump‐and‐treat remediation (P&T). Traditionally, P&T systems have been designed to operate continuously to achieve steady‐state capture zones, for which large amounts of energy are required. Green and sustainable remediation (GSR) is emerging as a viable method to minimize the adverse effects of remediation on the environment. One of the challenges associated with photovoltaic‐ (PV‐) powered P&T systems is the assessment of their performance given the intermittent nature of the power availability. This article characterizes the hydraulic containment effectiveness of a PV‐powered P&T system without energy storage using data collected at two different remediation sites, a Dry‐Cleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund site in Rolla, Missouri, and the Former Nebraska Ordnance Plant near Mead, Nebraska. Additionally, a method to estimate the effectiveness of the hydraulic containment as a function of the total volume of groundwater expected to be extracted is being proposed. Two transient and a continuously pumped capture zones were modeled using Visual MODFLOW^® 2012.1 along with MODPATH and compared. The study shows that smaller capture zones will be generated from intermittent pumping when compared to continuous pumping. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Operating windows to assess whether monitored natural attenuation is a technically feasible remediation option for BTEX‐contaminated groundwater

When used in combination with source management strategies, monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is likely to be a technically feasible remediation option if the contaminant persistence time along the flow path is less than (a) the transport time to the compliance point and (b) the time available for groundwater remediation objectives to be achieved. Biodegradation is often the most significant natural attenuation process for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in groundwater. While BTEX transport rates increase with groundwater velocity, examination of data obtained from the published literature for seven sites undergoing MNA revealed significant positive correlations between groundwater velocity and first‐order biodegradation rates for toluene (r = 0.83, P < 0.05), ethylbenzene (r = 0.93, P < 0.01), m‐ and p‐xylene (r = 0.96, P < 0.01), and o‐xylene (r = 0.78, P < 0.05). This is attributed to increased dispersion at higher velocities leading to more mixing of electron acceptors with the contaminant plume. There was no positive correlation between groundwater velocity and first‐order biodegradation rates for benzene due to noise in the relationship caused by variations in (a) the concentrations of electron acceptors in the uncontaminated groundwater and (b) the proportions of benzene in the total BTEX concentration in the source area. A regression model of the relationship between groundwater velocity and the first‐order biodegradation rate can be used to delineate operating windows for groundwater velocity within which the contaminant persistence time is less than the transport and remediation times for a given source concentration, target concentration, distance to compliance point, retardation factor, and remediation time. The operating windows can provide decision makers with a rapid indication of whether MNA is likely to be a technically feasible remediation option at a given site. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Model-based prediction of long-term leaching of contaminants from secondary materials in road constructions and noise protection dams

In this study, contaminant leaching from three different secondary materials (demolition waste, municipal solid waste incineration ash, and blast furnace slag) to groundwater is assessed by numerical modeling. Reactive transport simulations for a noise protection dam and a road dam (a typical German autobahn), in which secondary materials are reused as base layers, were performed to predict the breakthrough of a conservative tracer (i.e., a salt) and sorbing contaminants (e.g., PAHs like naphthalene and phenanthrene or heavy metals) at the groundwater table. The dam constructions have a composite architecture with soil covers in inclined layers and distinct contrasts in the unsaturated hydraulic properties of the used materials. Capillary barrier effects result in strong spatial variabilities of flow and transport velocities. Contaminant breakthrough curves at the groundwater table show significant tailing due to slow sorption kinetics and a wide distribution of travel times. While conservative tracer breakthrough depends primarily on subsoil hydraulic properties, equilibrium distribution coefficients and sorption kinetics represent additional controlling factors for contaminant spreading. Hence, the three secondary materials show pronounced differences in the temporal development of leached contaminant concentrations with consequences for breakthrough times and peak concentrations at the groundwater table. Significant concentration reductions due to dispersion occur only if the source concentrations decrease significantly prior to the arrival of the contaminant at the groundwater table. Biodegradation causes significant reduction of breakthrough concentrations only if flow velocities are low.     

Case study of ex situ remediation and conversion to a combined in situ/ex situ bioremediation approach at an oxygenated gasoline release site

In response to an oxygenated gasoline release at a gas station site in New Hampshire, a temporary treatment system consisting of a single bedrock extraction well, a product recovery pump, an air stripper, and carbon polishing units was installed. However, this system was ineffective at removing tertiary butyl alcohol from groundwater. The subsequent remedial system design featured multiple bedrock extraction wells and an ex situ treatment system that included an air stripper, a fluidized bed bioreactor, and carbon polishing units. Treated effluent was initially discharged to surface water. Periodic evaluation of the remediation system performance led to system modifications, which included installing an additional extraction well to draw contaminated groundwater away from an on‐site water supply well, adding an iron and manganese pretreatment system, and discharge of treated effluent to an on‐site drywell. Later, the air stripper and carbon units were eliminated, and an infiltration gallery was installed to receive treated, oxygenated effluent in order to promote flushing of the smear zone and in situ bioremediation in the source area. This article discusses the design, operation, performance, and modifications to the remediation system over time, and provides recommendations for similar sites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Designing funnel‐and‐gate groundwater remediation systems near property corners

Numerical models were used to simulate alternative funnel‐and‐gate groundwater remediation structures near property corners in hypothetical homogeneous and heterogeneous unconfined aquifers. Each structure comprised a highly permeable central gate (hydraulic conductivity = 25 m/d) and soil‐bentonite slurry walls (hydraulic conductivity = 0.00009 m/d). Gates were perpendicular to regional groundwater flow and approximately 5 m from a contaminant plume's leading tip. Funnel segments collinear to the central gate reached property boundaries; additional funnel segments followed property boundaries in the most hydraulically upgradient direction. Structures were 1 m thick and anchored into the base of the aquifer. Two structures were simulated for each aquifer: one with a 3.0‐m‐long central gate and funnels on either side; and a second with a 1.5‐m‐long central gate, funnels on either side, and 0.75‐m‐long end gates. Funnels were lengthened in successive simulations, until a structure contained a contaminant plume. Results suggest that, for the same total gate length, one‐gate structures may facilitate more rapid remediation, up to 44 percent less time in trials conducted in this study, than multiple‐gate structures constructed near property corners. However, in order to effectively contain a plume, one‐gate structures were up to 46 percent larger than multiple‐gate structures. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A deterministic approach to evaluate and implement monitored natural attenuation for chlorinated solvents

A US EPA directive and related technical protocol outline the information needed to determine if monitored natural attenuation (MNA) for chlorinated solvents is a suitable remedy for a site. For some sites, conditions such as complex hydrology or perturbation of the contaminant plume caused by an existing remediation technology (e.g., pump‐and‐treat) make evaluation of MNA using only field data difficult. In these cases, a deterministic approach using reactive transport modeling can provide a technical basis to estimate how the plume will change and whether it can be expected to stabilize in the future and meet remediation goals. This type of approach was applied at the Petro‐Processors Inc. Brooklawn site near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to evaluate and implement MNA. This site consists of a multicomponent nonaqueous‐phase source area creating a dissolved groundwater contamination plume in alluvial material near the Mississippi River. The hydraulic gradient of the groundwater varies seasonally with changes in the river stage. Due to the transient nature of the hydraulic gradient and the impact of a hydraulic containment system operated at the site for six years, direct field measurements could not be used to estimate natural attenuation processes. Reactive transport of contaminants were modeled using the RT3D code to estimate whether MNA has the potential to meet the site‐specific remediation goals and the requirements of the US EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Directive 9200.4‐17P. Modeling results were incorporated into the long‐term monitoring plan as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the MNA remedy. As part of the long‐term monitoring plan, monitoring data will be compared to predictive simulation results to evaluate whether the plume is changing over time as predicted and can be expected to stabilize and meet remediation goals. This deterministic approach was used to support acceptance of MNA as a remedy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Borehole‐scale testing of matrix diffusion for contaminated‐rock aquifers

A new method was developed to assess the effect of matrix diffusion on contaminant transport and remediation of groundwater in fractured rock. This method utilizes monitoring wells constructed of open boreholes in the fractured rock to conduct backward diffusion experiments on chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in groundwater. The experiments are performed on relatively unfractured zones (called test zones) of the open boreholes over short intervals (approximately 1 meter) by physical isolation using straddle packers. The test zones were identified with a combination of borehole geophysical logging and chemical profiling of CVOCs with passive samplers in the open boreholes. To confirm the test zones are within inactive flow zones, they are subjected to a series of hydraulic tests. Afterward, the test zones are air sparged with argon to volatilize the CVOCs from aqueous to air phase. Backward diffusion is then measured by periodic passive‐sampling of water in the test zone to identify rebound. The passive (nonhydraulically stressed) sampling negates the need to extract water and potentially dewater the test zone. The authors also monitor active flowing zones of the borehole to assess trends in concentrations in other parts of the fractured rock by purge and passive sampling methods. The testing was performed at the former Pease Air Force Base (PAFB) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Bedrock at the former PAFB consists of fractured metasedimentary rocks where the authors investigated back diffusion of cis‐1,2‐dichloroethylene (cis‐1,2‐DCE), a CVOC. Postsparging concentrations of cis‐1,2‐DCE showed initial rebounding followed by declines, excluding an episodic spike in concentrations from a groundwater recharge event. The authors theorize that there are three processes that controlled concentration responses in the test zones postsparging. First, the limited back diffusion of CVOCs from a halo or thin zone of rock around the borehole contributes to the initial rebounding. Second, aerobic degradation of cis‐1,2‐DCE occurred causing declines in concentrations in the test zone. Third, microflow from microfractures contributed to the episodic spike in concentrations following the groundwater recharge event. In active flow zones, the latter two processes are not measurable due to equilibration from groundwater transport between the borehole and active flowing fractures.