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Field pilot test of surfactant-enhanced remediation of trichloroethane DNAPL in a sand aquifer

Conference · · Ground Water; (United States)
OSTI ID:6961792
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3]
  1. INTERA Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
  2. State Univ., of New York, Buffalo, NY (United States). Dept. of Geology
  3. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Paducah, KY (United States)

The sequence of lacustrine and outwash deposits beneath a vapor degreasing operation at the Paducah Gaseous Division Plant, Kentucky, is contaminated with trichloroethane due to leakage from a sewer/sump line. A plume of dissolved trichloroethane (TCE) extends throughout an area of approximately 3 km[sup 2] in the Regional Gravel Aquifer (RGA) which is located between 20 and 30 meters below ground surface. It is suspected that some 40,000 liters of TCE might have escaped into the subsurface at Paducah, most of which is still present in the lacustrine deposits and the underlying RGA as DNAPL. A field test to confirm the presence of TCE DNAPL in the sandy, upper portion of the RGA around a monitoring well and to test the efficiency of the surfactant for TCE solubilization is described. The aqueous concentrations of TCE in this well have consistently been measured at 300--550 mg TCE/L over a period of three years. The use of Capillary and Bond numbers to estimate the improbability of mobilization of DNAPL due to the lowering of the interfacial tension is described. The multiphase, multicomponent simulator UTCHEM was used to simulate both the injection and extraction of the surfactant solution and the solubilization of the TCE by the surfactant micelles.

OSTI ID:
6961792
Report Number(s):
CONF-9410209--
Journal Information:
Ground Water; (United States), Journal Name: Ground Water; (United States) Vol. 32:5; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English