Combined use of soil vapor extraction and air sparging in the remediation of a petroleum hydrocarbon impacted site
- ATC Associates Inc., Novi, MI (United States)
Leaking test fuels from underground storage tank piping prompted a quick response to stop impacted groundwater migration into a nearby stream at a light industrial site located in the Midwest. The impacted groundwater plume covered nearly three quarters of an acre and contained several {open_quotes}pockets{close_quotes} of free product. Although groundwater extraction is a commonly used technology for halting migration and treatment of groundwater, from a review of the site hydrogeology, air sparging (AS) was chosen as the groundwater remediation technology which was coupled with soil vapor extraction (SVE). Pilot testing was conducted from which radii of influence were determined for SVE and AS wells. Vacuums in monitoring wells were used to estimate the SVE radius of influence and a combination of pressure readings from piezometers and dissolved oxygen measurements from monitoring wells were used to estimate the AS radius of influence. The design that followed consisted of six SVE wells extracting soil vapors at total rate of approximately 120 L/s (250 scfm) and 23 AS wells operating at a total air injection flow rate of approximately 50 L/s (115 scfm). A sparge barrier consisting of five injection wells was constructed along the bank of the stream to treat impacted groundwater prior to its discharge to the stream. Due to the terrain, the sparge wells near the creek were installed using a geoprobe. The remaining sparge and SVE wells were installed using a conventional drill rig. Within one month of system startup, free product was no longer detectable. Subsequent quarterly monitoring showed dramatic decreases in hydrocarbon concentration in all monitoring wells and no petroleum hydrocarbon discharge to the creek. After one year of operation it is estimated that over 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) of hydrocarbons had been removed through the extraction of soil vapors.
- OSTI ID:
- 567787
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971032--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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