Tracer verification and monitoring of containment systems
- Science and Engineering Associates, Santa Fe, NM (United States)
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); and others
In-situ barrier emplacement techniques and materials for the containment of high-risk contaminants in soils are currently being developed by the Department of Energy (DOE). Because of their relatively high cost, the barriers are intended to be used in cases where the risk is too great to remove the contaminants, the contaminants are too difficult to remove with current technologies, or the potential for movement of the contaminants to the water table is so high that immediate action needs to be taken to reduce health risks. Consequently, barriers are primarily intended for use in high-risk sites where few viable alternatives exist to stop the movement of contaminants in the near term. Assessing the integrity of the barrier once it is emplaced, and during its anticipated life, is a very difficult but necessary requirement. Existing surface-based and borehole geophysical techniques do not provide the degree of resolution required to assure the formation of an integral in-situ barrier. Science and Engineering Associates, Inc., (SEA) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are developing a quantitative subsurface barrier assessment system using gaseous tracers. Called SEAtrace{trademark}, this system integrates an autonomous, multipoint soil vapor sampling and analysis system with a global optimization modeling methodology to pinpoint leak sources and sizes in real time. SEAtrace{trademark} is applicable to impermeable barrier emplacements above the water table, providing a conservative assessment of barrier integrity after emplacement, as well as a long term integrity monitoring function. The SEAtrace{trademark} system is being developed under funding by the DOE-EM Subsurface Contaminant Focus Area.
- OSTI ID:
- 476032
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960804--Vol.2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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