Remediation of contaminated land and groundwater: experience in England and Wales

Remediation of contaminated land and groundwater is of common international concern. The context and approach taken to the problem are, however, country-specific. A survey of remedial activity occurring within England and Wales over the period 1996-1999 was commissioned by the Environment Agency (for England and Wales) to establish a baseline against which future trends in remedial activity could be judged. This paper: explains the context of contaminated land and groundwater remediation in England and Wales (Britain); provides an overview of the 1996-1999 survey of remedial activity, discussing its findings within its legislative and institutional context; and, discusses the survey results of significance to the management of contaminated land and groundwater internationally. The survey obtained specific data from 367 remediated sites supplemented by general data from a further 1189 contaminated (not necessarily remediated) sites. The survey aimed to be, and was indicative of remediation practice, and did not seek to identify every remediation scheme operating. Previous anecdotal evidences were generally confirmed. Civil engineering-based techniques dominated and were used at 94% of sites with in situ techniques (predominantly vapour extraction-based) on 16% and ex situ on just 5%. Although disposal to landfill was dominant and occurred at over 80% of sites, integrated use of multiple techniques was common. Remediation was predominantly of soil (rather than water), development-based, designed to protect human health and reflected national development-led and 'suitable for use' policies. Lessons of international relevance from the survey and general British experience are drawn concerning remediation technique selection, regulatory and financial support of innovative remediation techniques and demonstration sites, competent use of risk-based approaches to allow pragmatic remediation and effective use of quality guidelines, need for effective guidance to highlight water quality issues, the necessity of post remediation monitoring to prove remediation effectiveness and the keeping of remediation databases.     

Do Nutrients Limit Algal Periphyton in Small Blackwater Coastal Plain Streams?1

Abstract: We examine the potential for nutrient limitation of algal periphyton biomass in blackwater streams draining the Georgia coastal plain. Previous studies have investigated nutrient limitation of planktonic algae in large blackwater rivers, but virtually no scientific information exists regarding how algal periphyton respond to nutrients under different light conditions in smaller, low‐flow streams. We used a modification of the Matlock periphytometer (nutrient‐diffusing substrata) to determine if algal growth was nutrient limited and/or light limited at nine sites spanning a range of human impacts from relatively undisturbed forested basins to highly disturbed agricultural sites. We employed four treatments in both shaded and sunny conditions at each site: (1) control, (2) N (NO₃‐N), (3) P (PO₄‐P), and (4) N + P (NO₃‐N + PO₄‐P). Chlorophyll a response was measured on 10 replicate substrates per treatment, after 15 days of in situ exposure. Chlorophyll a values did not approach what have been defined as nuisance levels (i.e., 100‐200 mg/m²), even in response to nutrient enrichment in sunny conditions. For Georgia coastal plain streams, algal periphyton growth appears to be primarily light limited and can be secondarily nutrient limited (most commonly by P or N + P combined) in light gaps and/or open areas receiving sunlight.     

Influence of flue-gas desulfurization systems on coal combustion by-product quality at kentucky power stations burning high-sulfur coal

Two Kentucky power plants burning similar blends of high-sulfur western Kentucky and southern Indiana coal provide a unique opportunity to examine the variations in coal combustion by-products due to differences in the method of wet flue-gas desulfurization (FGD). One plant employed carbide lime-based scrubbing for two units and a dual-alkali process for the third unit. The second plant employed a Mississippian limestone from Kentucky for all four units. This study provides an example of optical and SEM petrographic techniques, supplemented by chemical analyses, applied to the study of, at least from the geologic perspective, non-traditional materials. The coal sources comprise a blend of high volatile C and B bituminous, high vitrinite (85–90%, mmf), high-sulfur (> 3%, dry) coals. The fly ash is dominated by glassy phases (70–80%) with about 5–10% spinel (predominately magnetite), 3–10% quartz, and 4–10% isotropic coke comprising the remaining portion of the ash. SEM observations indicate that the glassy particles exhibit a bimodal size distribution with sub-micron glass spheres and a population of larger (several 10s of microns) spheres. The bottom ash has higher proportions of spinels and mullite, with negligible carbon forms, compared to the fly ash from the same units. Fly ashes were observed to be lower in Fe and higher in Al, Si, and S compared to the bottom ashes. Carbide lime, a by-product of acetylene manufacture, soda ash, and limestone were the reagents used in the flue-gas desulfurization processes. The primary FGD by-product is a calcium sulfite slurry which is vacuum filtered and mixed with fly ash and, usually, lime, to form a stable product for disposal. The FGD by-products have some potential, as yet unrealized, for utilization.     

Environmental equity and electric power generation: Disparate community outcomes within Texas?

The examinations conducted in this study focus at the community level to test for disparate outcomes involving utility-based electric power generation within the crucial state of Texas. Potential policy implications are discussed as relevant to the general thesis of environmental racism postulated by justice advocates and the civil rights strategies advanced by justice advocates. Cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives are used in testing for distributive inequities involving locations of fossil fuel power plants and emissions and output rates of emissions originating from such power plants. These tests provide empirical basis for assessing outcomes of the siting and emissions regulatory processes. While the civil rights strategies that would use Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the disparate impact standard are inapplicable, some limited findings indicate disparate outcomes involving other disadvantaged populations that are difficult to justify in context of legitimate market dynamics. Issues raised in this study have relevance to national energy policy proposals that promote many more power plants across the USA and encourage emissions trading.     

Radon measurements in 12,000 Swedish homes

Radon daughter levels have been monitored in 12,000 Swedish dwellings during the last two years. In 1979 the Swedish Government introduced temporary limits for the radon daughter concentration in dwellings. For existing buildings this limit is 400 Bq/m³ (0.11 WL). Two different methods were used to monitor the radon daughter concentration. The majority of the houses presented in this paper were monitored using a track-etch detector; some houses were tested using a filter sampling technique while the ventilation rate was determined. Close to 15% of the investigated houses have a radon daughter concentration higher than 400 Bq/m³. The majority of these houses were one-family houses. Almost 10% of this group has a concentration above 1000 Bq/m³ (0.27 WL). The results from this study show that the two most important sources for radon in buildings are building materials and the ground.     

Seven Years of Change Following Liming of Sphagnum Communities in Sector Vii of the Loch Fleet Catchment

In 1986, application of lime within the upper wetland area of sector VII of the Loch Fleet catchment initiated numerous unscheduled small-scale experiments on the vegetation of this heterogeneous terrain. Vegetation changes and erosion were monitored in permanent or relocated plots established in 1987 and 1989 and re-surveyed in 1993, seven years after liming.

The most striking early effect, possibly occurring within a few weeks of lime application, was the death of Sphagnum papillosum carpet in soakways within the 2.5 ha area. Some patches of dead material were washed away, but bare surfaces were generally colonised by vascular plants, notably Juncus bulbosus. Effects in moorland and bog communities with dwarf shurbs were more subtle, involving reduction in Sphagnum cover and expansion of Erica teralix, Molinia caerulea, sedges and Narthecium ossifragum, but little change in the frequency of occurrence of Calluna vulgaris.     

Reduction of fecal indicator bacteria in sewage effluent when pumping for crop irrigation.

When sewage effluent was pumped from a lagoon for spray irrigation the pumping process reduced the fecal coliforms (FC) by 66% and the fecal streptococci (FS) by 91%. Bactericidal effects associated with the pumping of effluent were investigated in the laboratory by seeding sterilized effluent with fecal bacteria and repeatedly passing the liquid through a centrifugal impeller type pump at 50 psi pressure. The pumping effect was cumulative, 49 and 90% of FC being killed after two and four passages through the pump, respectively. FC were more susceptible than FS to injury by pressure shock. Very weak chlorination of the effluent increased the destruction of FC but not FS during subsequent pumping. Within the range of experimental conditions used, the percentage of FC killed by pumping was not markedly affected by changes in temperature and pH of the effluent or by differences in the number and age of cells added.