Fate and transport modeling of volatile organic compounds using anaerobic decay - concept of prolonged half-life
- IT Corp., San Bernardino, CA (United States)
- Earth Technology Corp., Colton, CA (United States)
Fate and transport modeling of chlorinated hydrocarbons dissolved in groundwater was performed for a number of landfill sites in southern California where TCE, DCE, and VC were identified as contaminants of major concern and natural attenuation was considered as one of possible remedial options. Chlorinated hydrocarbons may be biodegradable in natural environment under anaerobic conditions in a chain of degradation products: TCE non-toxic compounds. Simulation of fate and transport of separate TCE, DCE, and VC plumes would result in underestimation of the extent of contamination and natural attenuation time if the production rates of the degradation products are neglected. The fate and transport was simulated using an exponential decay rate corresponding to an approximate {open_quotes}prolonged half-life{close_quotes}. Assuming groundwater was originally impacted by TCE only, the contaminants were subject to anaerobic degradation, and the groundwater flow regime was adequately defined in the model, the simulation covered the whole spatial and temporal extent of the contamination. The {open_quotes}prolonged half-life{close_quotes} was estimated from a cascade degradation model and published anaerobic degradation rates. A site-specific {open_quotes}prolonged half-life{close_quotes} can be estimated from TCE, DCE, and VC concentrations if groundwater was originally impacted by a mixture of the constituents. Ratios of concentrations of TCE, DCE, and VC were shown to be indicative of anaerobic degradation.
- OSTI ID:
- 569911
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971116--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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