Toward a better understanding of the complex geochemical processes governing subsurface contaminant transport
Identification and understanding of the chemical, physical, and biological processes controlling subsurface contaminant migration is essential for making accurate predictions on the fate and transport of these constituents. Remediation assessment requires these predictions where pollution from municipal and industrial activities has occurred, and for the responsible siting of waste isolation and storage facilities. Geochemical processes include ion-exchange, precipitation, organic partitioning, chemisorption, aqueous complexation, and colloidal stability and transport. Current approaches to quantify the effect of these processes on transport in a ground water system primarily involve laboratory techniques. These include the use of closed static systems (batch experiments) and dynamic systems (column experiments) where a larger segment of the aquifer is investigated by analyzing the breakthrough profiles of reactive and non-reactive species. The latter approach may be more representative of in situ conditions than the former, however, when compared to large-scale field experiments both are still constrained by: differences in scale, alteration of media during sample collection and use, and spatial variability. More field reactivity studies are needed to complement established laboratory approaches for the determination of retardation factors, scaling factors for laboratory versus field data, corroboration or confirmation of batch and column results, and for validation of sampling techniques.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Ada, OK (United States). Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5202164
- Report Number(s):
- PB-91-216499/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ADSORPTION
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISORPTION
CHEMISTRY
CONTAMINATION
DESORPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FIELD TESTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ION EXCHANGE
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS
TESTING
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
WATER POLLUTION