The first vadose zone partitioning interwell tracer test for nonaqueous phase liquid and water residual
- Duke Engineering and Services, Grand Junction, CO (United States)
- Duke Engineering and Services, Austin, TX (United States)
- Duke Engineering and Services, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
In 1995, a partitioning interwell tracer test was conducted in the vadose zone beneath two buried organic liquid disposal trenches at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. The purpose was to estimate the amount and distribution of trichloroethylene (TCE) trapped by capillary forces as residual dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL). Screened injection and extraction wells, placed 16.8 m apart, and two monitor wells with multilevel sampling capability allowed vertical testing from 3.0 to 24.4 m below ground surface. Seven tracers were injected, but the most useful tracers in the final analysis were sulfur hexafluoride (nonpartitioning), perfluoro-1,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TCE-partitioning), and difluoromethane (water-partitioning). Both a TCE-partitioning tracer and a water-partitioning tracer were needed to determine average TCE DNAPL saturation. Average saturations of DNAPL and water were measured to be 0.11 {+-} 0.02% and 23 {+-} 2.0%, respectively, in the shallow zone between 3.0 and 10.7 m. Monitor well data showed no evidence of DNAPL below a depth of 9 m. These results had important implications for remedial actions at the site.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratory
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 687397
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 33; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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