Characterization of natural barriers to contaminant migration in glacial environments

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5820387

Trainor, D P ^[1]

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1. Dames and Moore, Madison, WI (United States)

Revisions in drilling and sampling techniques at a hazardous waste treatment facility were used to document potential migration of Appendix IX compounds through fine-grained lacustrine and glacial till sediments. The site is located in the Lake Calumet area of Chicago, Illinois. The facility property consists of land constructed of approximately 15 feet of rubble fill extending as a pier into the lake. Former hazardous waste management operations at the facility consisted of biochemical treatment of wastes within basins constructed in the fill. The purpose of the investigation was to evaluate if releases of contaminants had occurred, and to characterize the nature and extent of those contaminants. Soil samples of the underlying lacustrine clays were collected using hollow-stem augers, drilling muds and split spoon samplers. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semivolatile organics (SVOCs) in excess of 100,000 parts per billion were measured in samples collected from 10 feet below the saturated fill. Groundwater and soil samples collected from the fill yielded similar compounds at comparable concentrations. Large diameter casing was used to seal contaminated groundwater in the fill from the clay. No VOCs were measured in samples collected from the first 10 feet of the lacustrine material below the fill. Samples of the lacustrine and till sediments collected from depths of 15 and 40 feet below the fill yielded trace VOCs likely originating from outside (laboratory or sample handling) contamination sources. SVOCs measured in these samples were limited to phthalate compounds also attributed to outside contamination sources. The Phase 2 results indicate that the lacustrine and glacial till clays underlying the fill provide effective barriers to contaminant migration. In-situ and laboratory hydraulic tests on these deposits further confirm this conclusion.

• OSTI ID: 5820387
• Report Number(s): CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
• Journal Information: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SEDIMENTS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
CLAYS
DEPTH
GROUND WATER
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
ILLINOIS
LAND POLLUTION
MONITORING
SAMPLING
SOILS
VOLATILE MATTER
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIMENSIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATTER
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
USA
WATER
540210* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)