Analysis of soils to demonstrate sustained organic carbon removal during soil aquifer treatment

Soil samples from column studies using five soil types and from a field site were analyzed to assess the ability of soil aquifer treatment to sustain removal of organic carbon. The soil types used in the column studies were chosen to represent a wide range of soil properties that might be used for soil aquifer treatment. Soil samples were analyzed for total organic matter, and a subset of samples was sequentially extracted to determine the effects of soil aquifer treatment. For both column studies and the field site, no accumulation of organic matter was observed below a depth of 8 cm. Near the surface, biological activity at the soil-water interface resulted in an accumulation of biomass and associated organic matter. For the column studies, the accumulation of organic matter in the top 8 cm of soil was <20% of the total organic matter applied to the columns. Soils at depths greater than 8 cm had total organic matter levels less than the original soils before soil aquifer treatment. Significant changes in extractable iron and manganese oxides were observed at the field site, which had been in operation for >10 yr with extended periods of low redox conditions. However, these changes had no apparent effect on the removal of organic carbon in the system. This study provides evidence that soil aquifer treatment can remove organic carbon without accumulation from adsorption that might eventually lead to breakthrough.