Soil gas surveys at the Borden field site

Conference · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Environmental Health; (United States)

OSTI ID:6061376

Rivett, M O ^[1]; Feenstra, S

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1. Univ. of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). Waterloo Centre for Groundwater Research

Soil gas surveys have been widely used over the past decade as a site reconnaissance tool to delineate subsurface contamination by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surveys are most commonly used to define VOC source zone locations, for example spills or leaking tanks, or to delineate the approximate extent of dissolved-phase ground-water plumes. Although soil gas surveys are frequently successful in delineating contaminated areas, it is questionable how effective the technique is at delineating solvent sources zones and plumes that may often exist at significant distances below the water table due to the release of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). Field experiments have been conducted at the Borden aquifer research site, to evaluate the ability of soil gas surveys to delineate various chlorinated solvent source zones and associated ground-water plumes. Surveys were performed at two areas of the Borden site where zones of contamination had been purposely established for contaminant transport research experiments. Source types used included: a temporary vadose zone residual DNAPL source, a permanent ground-water zone DNAPL source, and a small surface spill of dissolved-phase contamination. Detailed monitoring permitted accurate delineation of the dissolved-phase ground water and soil gas plumes emitted by these sources.

• OSTI ID: 6061376
• Report Number(s): CONF-9310166--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Health; (United States) Journal Volume: 56:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CONTAMINATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
MATTER
MONITORING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SOILS
VOLATILE MATTER
WATER