Evaluation of Natural Attenuation as One Component of Chloroethene-Contaminated Groundwater Remediation
Test Area North (TAN) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is the site of a large trichloroethene (TCE) plume resulting from the historical injection of wastewater into the Snake River Plain Aquifer. The TAN Record of Decision (ROD) selected pump and treat as the final remedy and included a contingency for post-ROD treatability studies of alternative technologies. The technologies still under consideration are in situ bioremediation, in situ chemical oxidation, and natural attenuation. Both anaerobic and aerobic laboratory microcosm studies indicate the presence of microorganisms capable of chloroethene degradation. Field data indicate that TCE concentrations decrease relative to tritium and tetrachloroethene indicating an as yet unknown process is contributing to natural attenuation of TCE. Several methods for analyzing the field data have been evaluated and important limitations identified. Early results from the continued evaluation of the three alternative technologies suggest the combined approach of active remediation of the source area (in situ bioremediation and/or chemical oxidation replacing or augmenting pump and treat) and natural attenuation within the dissolved phase plume may be more cost and schedule effective than the base case pump and treat.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-99ID13727
- OSTI ID:
- 911301
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/CON-98-00240
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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