Water-quality monitoring at the Hoe Creek test site: review and preliminary conclusions

Conference · Thu May 20 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5078272

Wang, F T; Mead, S W; Stuermer, D H

It has been shown that underground coal gasification (UCG) may introduce a broad range of residual gasification products into the groundwater of a coal aquifer. Sorption of many contaminants by the coal itself is an important factor in restricting the migration of these contaminants in the ground water. However, field studies, conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Hoe Creek site, have shown that sorption of organic compounds by coal is not as effective as expected, perhaps because the coal surface area is limited. Furthermore, if severe roof collapse has taken place during gasification, non-coal aquifers located above the gasified coal seam may be interconnected with the coal aquifer, and contaminants may enter these non-coal aquifers, in which sorption is even less effective. The Hoe Creek II and III experiments have provided opportunities to study the contamination of a sand aquifer located above a gasified coal seam in a hydrological recharge area. Preliminary results indicate that the water in the overlying sand aquifer is much less contaminated with organic compounds than the water in the gasified coal aquifer. In conducting these field investigations, valuable lessons ere learned concerning groundwater monitoring. A suggested monitoring strategy is discussed.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5078272
• Report Number(s): UCRL-87650; CONF-820610-7; ON: DE82015759
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ADSORPTION
AQUIFERS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL SEAMS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
CONTAMINATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MONITORING
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PROCESSING
RECHARGE
RESOURCES
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION