Vadose Zone Monitoring: An Early Warning System

Currently, vadose zone monitoring is required under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) only at land treatment facilities. Contaminant leak detection through ground water monitoring is very important, but it is considered to be after the fact. Remedial action costs can be reduced considerably by monitoring the vadose zone for compounds that exhibit high rates of movement. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exhibit this property and are present at many municipal landfills, recycling facilities, and treatment storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs). Through the authors'personal experience, it has been noted that gaseous phase transport of VOCs through the vadose zone is at least an order of magnitude greater than advective transport of VOCs in ground water. Therefore, VOCs in soil gas are an effective early warning leak detection parameter. Downward movement of leachate can be intercepted by porous cup lysimeters. Attenuation in the vadose zone slows the apparent movement of contaminants; however, it is only a matter of time before leachate reaches the water table. The authors believe that soil-gas and pore-water monitoring should and eventually will be required at all RCRA sites. If vadose zone monitoring becomes an additional requirement under RCRA, both the facility owner and the taxpayer will benefit. During the interim, facility owners can benefit by employing vadose zone monitoring techniques coupled with either qualitative or quantitative chemical analyses.     

Vadose Zone Monitoring with the Neutron Moisture Probe

The neutron moisture probe is widely applicable to vadose zone monitoring problems which require measuring variable moisture contents. Neutron data are proportional to hydrogen density (modified by local chemistry) and sensitive to wetting fronts as well as changing volumes of hydrocarbon liquids. They cannot, however, be used to confirm contaminant chemistry, nor to detect steady-state flow. Neutron data are amenable to statistical analysis, providing a measure of the significance of data variations. Detection of incipient moisture changes at numerous monitoring locations is more practical using raw neutron data than data calibrated for moisture content because calibrations suffer from uncertainties associated with soil heterogeneities. When properly applied, the neutron probe is an effective monitoring tool as illustrated by three example applications described in this paper: (1) neutron moisture logs are used to detect subtle lithologic changes and identify monitoring horizons; (2) sequential neutron data are used to track induced saturation at a soil flushing pilot study; and (3) neutron logs from a horizontal access tube beneath a waste facility are used to pinpoint moisture anomalies.     

Factors Requiring Resolution in Installing Vadose Zone Monitoring Systems

Increasingly, regulations by federal, state and local agencies are being developed that require the installation of vadose zone monitoring systems for hazardous chemical facilities in addition to, or in lieu of, conventional ground water monitoring wells. Compared to a ground water monitoring approach, vadose zone monitoring systems may permit earlier detection of chemical leakage and less costly cleanup of contamination. The effective use of vadose zone monitoring systems in detecting contamination depends on many factors. Without proper consideration of these factors, a vadose zone monitoring system may not give as high a level of reliability as a ground water monitoring system.
Major factors to consider in installing a vadose zone monitoring system are: type of instrument to use, number of instruments, depth and location of instruments, and frequency of monitoring. Means to evaluate these factors in a comprehensive fashion have been lacking. Based on recent experience in installing and operating vadose zone monitoring systems, criteria and methods useful in resolving the preceding factors have been developed. Types of instruments can be classified as either direct (lysimeter, vapor probe) or indirect (tensiometer, conductivity probe). A combination of the two is needed for reliability. The depth, location and number of instruments depend on the geometry of the facility, the number and size of likely contaminant leakage points in engineered barriers, properties of the material being monitored, the effective radius of monitoring for each instrument, vadose zone properties, and types of remedial actions that are available. The freqency of monitoring largely depends on the rate of movement of the contaminant. Evaluating the preceding factors requires some level of modeling and preliminary field testing.     

EPA's Approach to Vadose Zone Monitoring at RCRA Facilities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed to amend federal regulations to require vadose zone monitoring at certain hazardous waste facilities. To support this proposal, EPA evaluated previous policy on vadose zone monitoring and examined advances in vadose zone monitoring technology. Changes in EPA vadose zone monitoring policy were driven by demonstrated advances in the available monitoring technology and improvements in understanding of vadose zone processes/When used under the appropriate conditions, currently available direct and indirect monitoring methods can effectively detect contamination that may leak from hazardous waste facilities into the vadose zone. Direct techniques examined include soil-core monitoring and soil-pore liquid monitoring. Indirect techniques examined include soil-gas monitoring, neutron moderation, complex resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity. Properly designed vadose zone monitoring networks can act as a complement to saturated zone monitoring networks at numerous hazardous waste facilities. At certain facilities, particularly those in arid climates where the saturated zone is relatively deep, effective vadose zone monitoring may allow a reduction in the scope of saturated zone monitoring programs.     

Vadose Zone Monitoring: Experiences and Trends in the United States

The vadose zone is the portion of the geologic profile above a perennial aquifer. Inclusion of mandatory vadose zone monitoring techniques as an approach to aquifer protect ion was first proposed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in the United States in 1978 and has since received increasing acceptance at federal and stale levels. The goals of a vadose zone characterization and monitoring effort are to establish background conditions, identify contaminant transport pathways, identify the extent and degree of existing contamination, establish the basis for monitoring network design, measure the parameters needed in a risk assessment, and provide detection of contaminant migration toward ground water resources. The benefits of vadose zone monitoring include early warning of contaminant migration, potential reduction of ground water monitoring efforts, reduction of contaminant spreading and volume, and reduced time and cost of remediation once a contaminant release occurs. Vadose zone characterization and monitoring techniques should be considered as critical hydrologic tools in the prevention of ground water resource degradation.     

Equipment Decontamination Procedures for Ground Water and Vadose Zone Monitoring Programs: Status and Prospects

A major portion of the work effort and, therefore, the money spent during investigations of ground water and the vadose zone at hazardous waste sites is associated with collecting chemical data. To that end, effective decontamination of reusable drilling equipment, sampling apparatus, and tools is critical to the credibility of chemical data. Samples representative of the site under study are essential.
Several state and federal regulatory agencies have established guidelines for procedures that should be considered when developing decontamination protocols. These agencies were contacted and asked to furnish copies of their decontamination guidelines. The information received was reviewed, and comparisons were made to assess the status of standards of decontamination practices for ground water and vadose zone monitoring programs at hazardous waste sites. Summaries of a variety of decontamination protocols were prepared. From this review, it is apparent that there is a need to standardize, to the extent possible, procedures for the field decontamination of equipment.
Two ASTM Subcommittees, D18.14 on Waste Management and D18.21 on Ground Water and Vadose Zone Monitoring, are currently working on developing standards for decontamination procedures. They, in cooperation with state and federal agencies and other interested technical groups, will develop standards for the field decontamination of equipment used to study ground water and the vadose zone.     

A Three-Dimensional Analytical Model to Aid in Selecting Monitoring Locations in the Vadose Zone

Monitoring of the vadose zone is a potentially complex, time-consuming, and expensive problem. The location of monitoring points and selection of monitoring instruments can be optimized by using computer models. Numerical models developed for this purpose in the past have often been expensive and difficult to use. This paper describes a fast, three-dimensional, approximate analytical solution to the moisture content in the unsaturated zone. An analytical solution is available for steady-state drainage, whereas an approximate analytical solution is available for the transient case. The model will handle an arbitrary distribution of fluid sources, as well as vertical and horizontal impermeable boundaries.
The model may be applied to predict the incursion of fluid from accidental leakage or infiltration over large areas from unlined ponds and land treatment sites. The model is quite useful as an aid in designing monitoring or premonitoring programs near hazardous waste sites. Examples are presented to demonstrate the model's utility in estimating the maximum spread of a contaminant, the extent to which the fluid may spread with depth, the regions of high and low capillary pressure, and the non-linear behavior of the saturation when drainage from several sources in considered. These results are useful for the placement of monitoring locations and the selection of appropriate instruments, and as a tool in working with regulatory agencies to design monitoring programs. A glimpse of the future is necessary for today's planning. Computer models are some of the most useful crystal balls we have available.     

Vadose Zone Characterization of Low-Permeability Sediments Using Field Permeameters

Measurement of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of material in the unsaturated zone beneath proposed surface impoundments is important for predicting seepage rates of water and contaminants. Hazardous waste disposal facilities are commonly sited on the basis of the low permeability of the geologic materials beneath the site. Field measurement of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of low-permeability materials may be accomplished using air-entry permeameters and borehole permeameters. The results of a coordinated field and laboratory investigation of low-permeability materials at a hazardous waste facility are presented. The different methods of testing and analysis are compared and discussed. In general, air-entry permeameters and borehole permeameters are useful for measuring the saturated hydraulic conductivity of low-permeability materials.     

Nitrate in the Intermediate Vadose Zone Beneath Irrigated Cropland

More than 1000 feet of fine-textured, unsaturated zone core beneath nitrogen-fertilized and irrigated farmland was collected, leached and analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen. Fertility plots treated with 200, 300, and 400 Ibs N/acre/yr accumulated significant quantities of nitrate-nitrogen in the vadose zone below the crop rooting zone. The average nitrate-nitrogen concentration approximately doubled with each 100 lbs N/acre/yr increment above the 100 lbs N/ acre/ yr treatment. Nitrate loading estimates for the plots treated with 400 lbs N/ acre/ yr indicate that over 1200 lbs N/ acre was in the vadose zone beneath the crop rooting zone. In 15 years, the nitrate moved vertically at least 60 feet through these fine-textured, unsaturated sediments. As much as 600 lbs N/acre have accumulated in the vadose zone under independent corn producers'fields.
Vadose zone sampling is effective in predicting future non-point nitrate-contaminated areas.     

Monitoring in the Vadose and Saturated Zones Utilizing Fluoroplastic

A ground water monitoring program should include an investigation of all possible areas of concern. To be completely effective, the program should include soil sampling, soil analysis and water-quality examination of both the saturated and unsaturated zones. A well-tooled drill rig can take all the proper soil samples, perform all necessary tests and install a functional monitoring well. With the introduction of the fluoropolymer (Teflon(r)) sleeve lysimeter, a single monitoring well can be constructed to monitor both the saturated and unsaturated zones in one installation. The monitoring well screen and casing may also be completely constructed of fluoropolymer.
The sleeve lysimeter is designed with a threaded hollow inner diameter, allowing it to be attached between the joints of a casing string. This hollow I.D. acts as an extension of the casing; the lysimeter surrounds the casing. This creates an isolated vessel for sampling the vadose zone. Access to the screened monitoring well below is unaffected. Tests have shown that when properly installed, these porous fluoropolymer filter units can collect samples with no interaction between the filter and collected fluids.     

Characterization of Persistent Volatile Contaminant Sources in the Vadose Zone

Effective long‐term operation of soil vapor extraction (SVE) systems for cleanup of vadose‐zone sources requires consideration of the likelihood that remediation activities over time will alter the subsurface distribution and configuration of contaminants. A method is demonstrated for locating and characterizing the distribution and nature of persistent volatile organic contaminant (VOC) sources in the vadose zone. The method consists of three components: analysis of existing site and SVE‐operations data, vapor‐phase cyclic contaminant mass‐discharge testing, and short‐term vapor‐phase contaminant mass‐discharge tests conducted in series at multiple locations. Results obtained from the method were used to characterize overall source zone mass‐transfer limitations, source‐strength reductions, potential changes in source‐zone architecture, and the spatial variability and extent of the persistent source(s) for the Department of Energy's Hanford site. The results confirmed a heterogeneous distribution of contaminant mass discharge throughout the vadose zone. Analyses of the mass‐discharge profiles indicate that the remaining contaminant source is coincident with a lower‐permeability unit at the site. Such measurements of source strength and size as obtained herein are needed to determine the impacts of vadose‐zone sources on groundwater contamination and vapor intrusion, and can support evaluation and optimization of the performance of SVE operations.     

Effect of NAPL Source Morphology on Mass Transfer in the Vadose Zone

The generation of vapor‐phase contaminant plumes within the vadose zone is of interest for contaminated site management. Therefore, it is important to understand vapor sources such as non‐aqueous‐phase liquids (NAPLs) and processes that govern their volatilization. The distribution of NAPL, gas, and water phases within a source zone is expected to influence the rate of volatilization. However, the effect of this distribution morphology on volatilization has not been thoroughly quantified. Because field quantification of NAPL volatilization is often infeasible, a controlled laboratory experiment was conducted in a two‐dimensional tank (28 cm × 15.5 cm × 2.5 cm) with water‐wet sandy media and an emplaced trichloroethylene (TCE) source. The source was emplaced in two configurations to represent morphologies encountered in field settings: (1) NAPL pools directly exposed to the air phase and (2) NAPLs trapped in water‐saturated zones that were occluded from the air phase. Airflow was passed through the tank and effluent concentrations of TCE were quantified. Models were used to analyze results, which indicated that mass transfer from directly exposed NAPL was fast and controlled by advective‐dispersive‐diffusive transport in the gas phase. However, sources occluded by pore water showed strong rate limitations and slower effective mass transfer. This difference is explained by diffusional resistance within the aqueous phase. Results demonstrate that vapor generation rates from a NAPL source will be influenced by the soil water content distribution within the source. The implications of the NAPL morphology on volatilization in the context of a dynamic water table or climate are discussed.     

On Evaluating Characteristics of the Solute Transport in the Arid Vadose Zone

The transport of bromide (Br) under matric heads of 0, ?2, ?5, and ?10 cm using undisturbed soil columns was investigated for understanding the solute transport in arid soils. Undisturbed soil cores were collected at ground surface, directly below where tension infiltrometer measurements were made in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada, United States. Laboratory experiments were conducted by introducing water containing Br tracer into a soil column maintained at steady‐state conditions. The observed data of breakthrough curves (BTC) were well fitted to an one‐region model, except for the cores at saturation, and a core at the matric head of ?5 cm, from which the observed data were better fitted to a two‐region model. Fitted pore water velocities with the one‐region model ranged from 1.2 to 56.6 cm/h, and fitted dispersion coefficients (D) ranged from 2.2 to 100 cm²/h. Results for the core analyzed with the two‐region model indicated that D ranged from 27.6 to 70.9 cm²/h at saturation, and 25.7 cm²/h at the matric head of ?5 cm; fraction of mobile water (β) ranged from 0.18 to 0.65, and mass transfer coefficient (ω) ranged from 0.006 to 0.03. In summary, the water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients at investigated matric heads were very high due to the coarseness of the soils and possibly due to preferential flow pathways. These high water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients would lead to a higher risk of deeper leaching accumulating nitrate nitrogen to the groundwater, and have significant effects on the desert ecosystem.