Carbon tetrachloride in vegetation and its application to expedited site characterization.
The use of vegetation analyses to outline areas of near-surface enrichment with metals and organic compounds was pioneered by the mining and petroleum industries. Research and development (R&D) on environmental applications is focusing on the ability of vegetation to remediate soils. Certain contaminants are taken up by plants and either stored in the plant tissue for easy harvesting and removal or changed into products that are not a health concern. In the development of its Expedited Site Characterization (ESC) methodology, our group at Argonne has focused its R&D on the application of vegetation analyses to detect subsurface contamination in vadose zone soils. We have developed the technology to locate past spills or leaks of carbon tetrachloride that penetrated the vadose zone and contaminated underlying drinking water supplies. Vegetation analysis is attractive as a first-step exploratory technique because it is noninvasive, rapid, and inexpensive. The technique requires collection of a uniform, constant sample and an analytical method with a low detection limit and high-quality results.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 11839
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ER/CP-99198; TRN: AH200118%%298
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: The Second International Symposium on Integrated Technical Approaches to Site Characterization, Chicago, IL (US), 06/07/1999--06/09/1999; Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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