A Sophisticated Ground Water Analytical Tool |
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| Authors: | David J Tonjes James H Heil John A Black |
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| Institution: | David J. Tonjes;is a doctoral candidate in coastal oceanography at the Marine Sciences Research Center, University at Stony Brook, through its Waste Management Institute (Waste Management Institute, Marine Sciences Research Center, University at Stony Brook, 11794–5000). Under a grant from the Town Board, he is a technical adviser to the commissioner of waste management of the town of Brookhaven, New York, in solid waste planning, regulatory compliance, and environmental site monitoring. Tonjes has a B.A. in liberal arts from St. John's College, an M.S. in computer science from New York Institute of Technology, and an M.S. in technological systems management from the University at Stony Brook. James H. Heil;is commissioner of waste management for the town of Brookhaven (Department of Waste Management, Town of Brookhaven, 3233 Rte. 112, Medford, NY 11763). Heil received a B.S. from Manhattan College and an M.S. from New York University in civil engineering, and is a licensed professional engineer in New York. He is a former president of the New York State Solid Waste Management Association. John A. Black;is the coordinator of the environmental science program at Suffolk County Community College (Environmental Science Program, Suffolk County Community College, Selden, NY 11784). He is currently the chair of the Ecology Committee of the Pine Barrens Advisory Committee for Suffolk County, and is a member of the Suffolk County Pine Barrens Review Commission. Black received a B.S. in chemistry from Adephi University, an M.S. in public administration from the University at Stony Book, an M. S. from Hofstra University, and a Ph. D. from Adlephi in marine sciences. |
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| Abstract: | Stiff diagrams arc a multivariate method of analysis used to describe the chemical state of ground water. The use of Stiff diagrams to describe multiconstituent contamination sites, such as landfills, has distinct advantages over single constituent analyses. Problems associated with traditional Stiff diagram analyses, such as diagram attentuation, can be addressed by allowing the scale of the diagram to vary with the ionic strength of the analyzed sample. The use of these sliding scale Stiff diagrams reveals the chemical slate of the ground water over wide ranges of constituent concentrations and thus allows for sensitive and sophisticated depictions of complicated contamination sites in a fashion that is extremely difficult to replicate with single constituent analyses. This approach has possible applications for understanding and tracing the mixing and chemical changes in uncontaminated settings. |
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