Transport of contaminants in the subsurface: The role of organic and inorganic colloidal particles: Summary report

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6158502

Current knowledge was reviewed about the role played by colloids on the mobility of contaminants in the subsurface environment, and to identify important long-term research needs in this area. Recent findings on the occurrence and nature of colloidal material in the subsurface as well as on the association of colloids with organic, metal, and radionuclide contaminants were presented and discussed. Field studies have demonstrated that colloidal particles do move through aquifers and that radionuclides have been transported much further than predicted due to their association with mobile colloids in the groundwater. The consensus of the meeting was that colloids do occur in the subsurface environment, are capable of binding organic and inorganic contaminants, and do alter the mobility of contaminants. A major difficulty in understanding and predicting the role of colloids is their heterogenous nature that hampers precise chemical characterization. Clay and metal oxide colloids can be formed or dissolved due to changes in solution chemistry in the aquifer. Organic colloids have variable and diverse functional groups, making it difficult to predict their association with metal and radionuclide contaminants. Some important advances were reported toward understanding the assembly of organic colloids and the nature of their interactions with organic contaminants. Major research needs identified by the participants included studies in real systems on the occurrence of colloids in subsurface environments, and more rigorous characterization of the physical and chemical properties of the colloidal material. Methods for sampling colloids need to be improved to avoid production of artifacts during collection.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC. Ecological Research Div.
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6158502
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER-0331; CONF-861036-Summ.; ORNL/M-349; ON: DE87012029
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMISTRY
CLAYS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FILTRATION
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MEETINGS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES
WASTES
WATER