Designing optimal strategies for contaminated groundwater remediation

The problem of locating pumps and setting pump rates to most effectively stabilize and remove a plume of contaminated groundwater at a hazardous waste site is examined. Nonlinear optimization methods are combined with convective-disperisve transport simulation in a unit response matrix type of optimization formulation.Constraints are used which guarantee that the contaminant plume is removed by limiting the concentrations at nodal points in the domain at a future time. Additional constraints explicitly require that concentrations not increase in the area outside the initial plume boundary. The effectiveness of alternative formulations are examined by performing numerical experiments using a hypothetical aquifer.The experiments show that computational costs are dominated by the repeated simulations required for computation of constraint gradients and are proportional to the number of pump sites under consideration. This characteristic of the formulation and algorithm used, limits the use of the approach to problems where the number of potential pump sites is relatively small.     

Numerical simulation of gas venting for NAPL site remediation

A control volume, finite element method is used to discretize the three phase, three component equations for simulation of gas venting. The discrete equations are solved using full Newton iteration. Any combinations of phases can exist, and variable substitution is used to take into account phase appearance and disappearance. Some example computations are presented for two dimensional axisymmetric geometry. Several different scenarios for gas venting are examined. High rate air injection can be effective at removing NAPL both in the unsaturated and saturated zones. The numerical techniques can handle problems having node pore volume gas throughputs (in a timestep) of the order of 10⁶, which greatly exceeds the maximum stable explicit timestep size.     

Bioelectricity generation and remediation of sulfide contaminated tidal flat sediment

A dramatic decrease in the catch of shellfish has been observed due to the high amount of Acid Volatile Sulfide(AVS) in the tidal flats in Japan.In the current study,an evaluation of simultaneous bioelectricity generation and remediation of sulfide contaminated tidal flat sediment has been done.The sediment samples collected from Tokyo Bay and Yamaguchi Bay,Japan,have been used in the laboratory test.A 2 L cylindrical shaped Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell(SMFC) has been used to evaluate the remediation of both sediment samples in the laboratory.Three different electrode materials carbon felt,carbon fiber and bamboo charcoal were used in the experiments to compare their efficiency to reduce the AVS from the sediment and generate bioelectricity.It was observed that the AVS reduction was higher at 5 cm depths for the Tokyo Bay sediment(100%) compared to the Yamaguchi Bay sediment(60%).The larger grain size for the Tokyo Bay sediment was the probable reason for this.The maximum voltage was around 100 and80 mV for Tokyo Bay and Yamaguchi Bay,respectively.     

Stochastic multimedia risk assessment for a site with contaminated groundwater

 There exist many sites with contaminated groundwater because of inappropriate handling or disposal of hazardous materials or wastes. Health risk assessment is an important tool to evaluate the potential environmental and health impacts of these contaminated sites. It is also becoming an important basis for determining whether risk reduction is needed and what actions should be initiated. However, in research related to groundwater risk assessment and management, consideration of multimedia risk assessment and the separation of the uncertainty due to lack of knowledge and the variability due to natural heterogeneity are rare. This study presents a multimedia risk assessment framework with the integration of multimedia transfer and multi-pathway exposure of groundwater contaminants, and investigates whether multimedia risk assessment and the separation of uncertainty and variability can provide a better basis for risk management decisions. The results of the case study show that a decision based on multimedia risk assessment may differ from one based on risk resulting from groundwater only. In particular, the transfer from groundwater to air imposes a health threat to some degree. By using a methodology that combines Monte Carlo simulation, a rank correlation coefficient, and an explicit decision criterion to identify information important to the decision, the results obtained when uncertainty and variability are separate differ from the ones without such separation. In particular, when higher percentiles of uncertainty and variability distributions are considered, the method separating uncertainty and variability identifies TCE concentration as the single most important input parameter, while the method that does not distinguish the two identifies four input parameters as the important information that would influence a decision on risk reduction.     

A positivity preserving method for simulation of steam injection for NAPL site remediation

Numerical modelling of steam injection methods for cleanup of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contamination of groundwater requires consideration of multiphase, multicomponent convective and dispersive transport. Standard techniques do not ensure that the solution of the discrete equations has positive mole fractions, for finite mesh sizes. Negative mole fractions may cause the simulation to abort due to failure of the Newton iteration. A method for alleviating this problem is described. This method ensures that the mole fractions are positive, and results in an error that is the same size as the usual finite element discretization error. Example computations are presented for cartesian and axisymmetric two-dimensional geometries.     

Convergence of deterministic and stochastic approaches in optimal remediation design of a contaminated aquifer

The comparison between two series of optimal remediation designs using deterministic and stochastic approaches showed a number of converging features. Limited sampling measurements in a supposed contaminated aquifer formed the hydraulic conductivity field and the initial concentration distribution used in the optimization process. The deterministic and stochastic approaches employed a single simulation–optimization method and a multiple realization approach, respectively. For both approaches, the optimization model made use of a genetic algorithm. In the deterministic approach, the total cost, extraction rate, and the number of wells used increase when the design must satisfy the intensified concentration constraint. Growing the stack size in the stochastic approach also brings about same effects. In particular, the change in the selection frequency of the used extraction wells, with increasing stack size, for the stochastic approach can indicate the locations of required additional wells in the deterministic approach due to the intensified constraints. These converging features between the two approaches reveal that a deterministic optimization approach with controlled constraints is achievable enough to design reliable remediation strategies, and the results of a stochastic optimization approach are readily available to real contaminated sites.     

Impact of offsite sediment transport and toxicity on remediation of a contaminated estuarine bay

Sediment of Ostrich Bay, an arm of Dyes Inlet on Puget Sound, was historically contaminated with ordnance compounds from an onshore US Navy facility. An initial recommendation for a sediment cover to mitigate benthic risks was followed by studies of sediment transport and deposition to determine whether contaminated sediment from Dyes Inlet or other offsite sources in Puget Sound may contribute to Ostrich Bay impacts. A Sediment Trend Analysis (STA) identified net sediment transport pathways throughout the bay and inlet by examining changes in grain size distributions in multiple adjacent samples. Results indicated that fine-grained sedimentary material transports into and deposits throughout the Dyes Inlet system, with no erosion or transport out of Ostrich Bay. Echinoderm larvae mortality bioassay results were elevated in fine-grained sediments of both Ostrich Bay and Dyes Inlet. Ordnance compounds were undetected, and although sediment mercury concentrations were elevated at 0.48-1.4 mg/kg in both waterbodies, the relationship with toxicity was weak. Results of the studies and sedimentation modeling indicate that impacted sedimentary material deposits throughout the Dyes Inlet/Ostrich Bay system from unknown sources and will prevent natural recovery of Ostrich Bay as well as negate long-term effectiveness of active remedial measures. Stakeholders have recognized that remediation of the bay can be achieved only after the toxicity of depositing sediment decreases.     

Information effect on remediation design of contaminated aquifers using the pump and treat method

We examine the effect of uncertainty due to limited information on the remediation design of a contaminated aquifer using the pump and treat method. The hydraulic conductivity and contaminant concentration distributions for a fictitious contaminated aquifer are generated assuming a limited number of sampling locations. Stochastic optimization with multiple realizations is used to account for aquifer uncertainty. The optimization process involves a genetic algorithm (GA). As the number of realizations increases, a greater extraction rate and more wells are needed. There was a total cost increase, but the optimal remediation designs became more reliable. Stochastic optimization analysis also determines the locations for extraction wells, the variation in extraction rates as a function of the change of well locations, and the reliability of the optimal designs. The number of realizations (stack number) that caused the design factors to converge could be determined. Effective stochastic optimization may be achieved by reducing computational resources. An increase in the variability of the conductivity distribution requires more extraction wells. Information about potential extraction wells can be used to prevent failure of the remediation task.     

Effectiveness of bacterial inoculum and mangrove plants on remediation of sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The remediation of mangrove sediment contaminated with mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) having 3-, 4- and 5-rings by natural attenuation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and its combination was compared by greenhouse microcosm studies. At Days 90 and 154, the decreases of PAHs in contaminated mangrove sediment by phytoremediation, planted with one-year old Aegiceras corniculatum, and bioaugmentation, the inoculation of PAH-degrading bacterial strains isolated from mangrove sediment, either SCSH (Mycobacterium parafortuitum) or SAFY (Sphingobium yanoikuyae), were not better than that by natural attenuation (the non-vegetated and un-inoculated microcosms). The populations of SCSH and SAFY in sediment could not be maintained even with repeated inoculation, suggesting that the two isolates were not able to compete with the indigenous microbes and had little enhancement effect. Although some PAHs were accumulated in roots, root uptake only accounted for <15% of the spiked PAHs and the effect of plants on remediation were also insignificant. At the end of the 154-day experiment, the mass balance calculation revealed that the overall losses of PAHs by phytoremediation were comparable to that by bioaugmentation but were lower than that by natural attenuation, especially for the high molecular weight PAHs. Under natural attenuation, around 90% fluorene, 80% phenanthrene, 70% fluoranthene, 68% pyrene and 32% benzo[a]pyrene in contaminated sediment were removed. These results demonstrated that the mangrove sediment itself had sufficient indigenous microorganisms capable of naturally remedying PAH contamination.     

Analytical and centrifuge studies of pile groups in liquefiable soil before and after site remediation

The objectives of this paper are to show practically: (1) the validation of a proposed three-dimensional effective stress analysis for the pile foundations, and (2) the effectiveness of remedial deposits on pile stresses under liquefaction by making comparisons between the results of centrifuge tests and those of the proposed analysis. Two foundation models supported by end-bending piles were studied with improved and unimproved deposits. There exists a good consistency between the numerical and experimental results for excess pore water-pressure ratios ranging from 0 to about 0·9. From the numerical results, the bending moment at the pile top with the improved deposit is about 50 per cent lower than that with the unimproved deposit. However, it was found that the smaller the bending moment develops in the pile with the improved deposit, the larger the compressive and/or tensional axial stresses in the pile. This is due to the predominant excitation of rocking vibration of the foundation. From the analytical and experimental results, it has been found that the remedial method can be a variable means to protect piles from soil liquefaction hazards. However, both axial stress and bending moment produced in piles should be considered in assessing the liquefied seismic capacity of group pile-foundation–structural systems with improved soil deposits. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The settling of resuspended lake sediment related to physicochemical properties of particles of different sizes: Implication for environmental remediation

Sediment resuspension is an important way for shallow lake internal pollution to interact with the overlying water column,and the pollution risks are reasonably related to the retention of resuspended sediment particles in overlying water.In the current study,the settling of resuspended sediment particles was comprehensively investigated under different disturbances using five urban lake sediments.The results show that the particle size distributions of resuspended sediment from different lakes exhibited similar variations during settling with disturbance,although varied settling times were observed under static conditions.During settling with and without disturbance,sediment particle sizes were mainly within 8-63μm at the initial stage,and were<8μm in the later stages of settling.Based on these settling characteristics,the sediment particle size was divided into sand(>63μm),silt(8-63μm),and very fine silt and clay(<8μm)fractions.Kinetic analysis suggested that sediment settling for different particle sizes could be well described by the first-and second-order kinetic equations,especially when settling was disturbed(r²=0.727-0.999).The retention of resuspended sediment could be enhanced as particle sizes decreased and disturbance intensities increased.Furthermore,a water elutriation method was successfully optimized,with separation efficiencies of 56.1%-83%,to separate sediment particles into the defined three particle size fractions.The chemical compositions of sediment were found to change with different particle sizes.Typically,calcium tended to form large-size sediment,while the total contents of aluminum,iron,magnesium,and manganese showed significantly negative correlations with sediment particle sizes(p<0.01)and tended to distribute in small-size particles(e.g.,<8μm).Overall,the sediment particle size related settling dynamics and physicochemical properties suggested the necessity on determining the pollution of resuspended sediment at different particle sizes for restoration of shallow lakes.     

Simulation-based risk assessment of contaminated sites under remediation scenarios, planning periods, and land-use patterns—a Canadian case study

Risk assessment of contaminated sites is crucial for quantifying adverse impacts on human health and the environment. It also provides effective decision support for remediation and management of such sites. This study presents an integrated approach for environmental and health risk assessment of subsurface contamination through the incorporation of a multiphase multicomponent modeling system within a general risk assessment framework. The method is applied to a petroleum-contaminated site in western Canada. Three remediation scenarios with different efficiencies (0, 60, and 90%) and planning periods (10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 years later) are examined for each of the five potential land-use plans of the study site. Then three risky zones with different temporal and spatial distributions are identified based on the local environmental guidelines and the excess lifetime cancer risk criteria. The obtained results are useful for assessing potential human health effects when the groundwater is used for drinking water supply. They are also critical for evaluating environmental impacts when the groundwater is used for irrigation, stockbreeding, fish culture, or when the site remains the status quo. Moreover, the results indicate that the proposed method can effectively identify risky zones with different risk levels under various remediation actions, planning periods, and land-use patterns.     

Methodology for comparing source and plume remediation alternatives

It is often difficult at contaminated sites to decide whether remediation effort should be focused on the contaminant source, the dissolved plume, or on both zones. The decision process at these sites is hampered by a lack of quantitative tools for comparing remediation alternatives. A new screening-level mass balance approach is developed for simulating the transient effects of simultaneous ground water source and plume remediation. The contaminant source model is based on a power function relationship between source mass and source discharge, and it can consider partial source remediation at any time after the initial release. The source model serves as a time-dependent mass flux boundary condition to a new analytical plume model, where flow is assumed to be one dimensional, with three-dimensional dispersion. The plume model simulates first-order sequential decay and production of several species, and the decay rates and parent/daughter yield coefficients are variable functions of time and distance. This new method allows for flexible simulation of natural attenuation or remediation efforts that enhance plume degradation. The plume remediation effort may be temporary or delayed in time, limited in space, and it may have different chemical effects on different contaminant species in the decay chain.     

Joint interpretation of geoelectrical and volatile organic compounds data: a case study in a hydrocarbons contaminated urban site

As a result of a gasoline spill in an urban area, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Electromagnetic Profiling (EMP) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) methods were used in order to define the contamination plume and to optimize the drilling and soil sampling activities. The VOC anomalies (recent contamination) indicated that a gas station located at the study site is an active contamination source. The mature contaminated zones defined by ERT and EMP methods corresponded with low resistivity anomalies due to degradation process of the hydrocarbons contaminants. The ERT, EMP and VOC results were integrated on a map, allowing the final configuration of contamination plumes and the optimization of drilling and soil/free-product sampling. Laboratory analyses of free-product samples suggest the existence of more than one contamination event in the site, with the presence of recent and degraded-hydrocarbon contaminants classified in the gasoline range. This study shows the advantages of joint application of ERT, EMP and VOC methods in sites with active contamination source, where the existence of recent and mature contaminants in subsoil is assumed.     

过零点个数地震属性理论诠释及应用

在地震解释与储层预测中,地震属性扮演着重要角色.在砂砾岩储层研究过程中,常规属性效果并不理想,无法满足实际应用的需要.而过零点个数,虽是一种不被人经常使用的地震属性,但我们发现在砂砾岩体油藏预测中应用效果良好.为此,研究过零点个数地震属性的定义与计算方法,讨论子波主频、砂岩厚度、泥岩夹层和地层韵律性等与它的关系,通过模型测试与实际资料应用对其做较全面的诠释.研究表明:(1)对于单一界面地震记录,过零点个数不随子波主频和波长的变化而变化;(2)砂岩厚度与过零点个数呈正相关,厚砂岩的过零点个数要比薄砂岩大;(3)砂体间存在的泥岩夹层,厚度变化对过零点个数影响较小,但它会影响波组的形态;(4)不规则沉积与均匀沉积相比,过零点个数属性值要大,因此,此属性比较适合多期次发育的砂砾岩体或其他薄互层结构的储层预测.总的来说,过零点个数地震属性能够有效地识别砂砾岩体发育区,可为此类储层预测提供了一种新的优势属性.     

Distribution and source differentiation of PAHs and PCBs among size and density fractions in contaminated harbor sediment particles and their implications in toxicological assessment

Sediment samples collected from Kaohsiung Harbor (Taiwan) were analyzed for 15 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 118 individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in various particle size fractions and two density fractions. The PAHs in the low density fraction were a much more sensitive and effective indicator of the PAH source than those in the sediment as a whole. Hierarchical cluster analysis of PAH analytes in the low density sediments revealed significant differences in compositional patterns between locations and among size fractions. In the sediment samples from both study sites, the low density fraction particles had up to 155 and 150 times higher concentrations of PAHs and PCBs, respectively, than those in the corresponding high density fractions. In addition, the total toxic benzo[a]pyrene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD, dioxin) equivalents in the sediment low density fractions were much higher (up to 170 and 273 times, respectively) than the corresponding high density fractions.     

Monitoring the remediation of a near shore waste disposal site in Antarctica using the amphipod Paramoera walkeri and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGTs)

The water quality of a marine embayment (Brown Bay) was monitored during the remediation of an abandoned waste disposal site at Casey Station, East Antarctica, using a combination of biomonitoring and chemical methods. The Antarctic amphipod Paramoera walkeri, in field mesocosms suspended in the water column, was deployed adjacent to the site and at two reference sites for periods of 14 days, repeated three times during the remediation period (December to February). Diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) samplers were deployed for the same periods to provide estimates of dissolved metals. No difference in mortality of amphipods was observed between Brown Bay and reference sites. There were significant differences, however, in accumulated metal concentrations between amphipods from Brown Bay and reference sites, with greater concentrations of antimony, copper, cadmium, lead, iron and tin at Brown Bay. The melt water/runoff treatment strategy employed for the remediation was successful in preventing acute toxic effects, but water quality was reduced at Brown Bay, where increased metal bioavailability may have been high enough to induce chronic effects in some biota. DGT samplers were less sensitive than amphipods in detecting differences in metal concentrations between sites, indicating that metals bound to suspended particulates were a potentially significant source of contamination.