Field evaluation of interfacial and partitioning tracers for characterization of effective NAPL-water contact areas

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Ground Water

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02821.x· OSTI ID:624053

Annable, M D; Jawitz, J W; Rao, P S.C.; Dai, D P; Kim, H ^[1]; Wood, A L ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
2. Environmental Protection Agency, Ada, OK (United States). National Risk Management Research Lab.

The use of surface-active tracers for measuring the interfacial area between nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) and water was evaluated in a hydraulically isolated test cell installed in a surficial aquifer located at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. Interfacial tracers were developed at the University of Florida for quantifying immiscible fluid-fluid interfaces (air-water or NAPL-water) in porous media. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the interfacial tracer to measure the effective NAPL-water interfacial area (a{sub Nw}), while 2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanol (DMP) was used as the partitioning tracer to estimate the NAPL saturation (S{sub N}). The observed retardation of SDBS and DMP when compared to a nonreactive tracer (bromide or methanol) at eight multi-level sampling locations and one extraction well, was used to quantify the a{sub Nw} and S{sub N} values averaged over the interval between the injection wells and each monitoring point. The NAPL morphology index, defined here as H{sub N} = a{sub Nw}/{psi}S{sub N} ({psi} = porosity), varied significantly within the test cell. In locations where the magnitude of H{sub N} was large, the NAPL was assumed to be more or less uniformly spread, providing good contact with the mobile fluid. In contrast, regions with low H{sub N} values were assumed to have NAPL that was more heterogeneously distributed as isolated patches providing poor contact with the mobile fluid. The index H{sub N}, provided by the combined use of interfacial and partitioning tracers, has important implications for NAPL source region remediation employing in situ flushing technologies.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 624053
• Journal Information: Ground Water, Journal Name: Ground Water Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 36; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FIELD TESTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REMEDIAL ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VOLATILE MATTER