Objective:

Chlorinated solvents pose significant environmental problems to the Department of Defense (DoD). A large amount of money and effort is invested annually by DoD on remedial efforts. In many cases, it is not clear how successful investments in innovative in-situ technologies are because of the difficulty associated with measuring and quantifying remedial performance. The objective of this project is to evaluate the success of in-situ remedial systems at three hydrogeologically distinct sites employing a range of innovative in-situ treatment technologies. The diagnostic procedures to be applied include technology- and geology-specific tools for real-time diagnosis of remedial technology success as well as those that can be used widely irrespective of the type of technology or site conditions. Mass flux measurement will be used as a technology-wide metric of overall system performance since it can clearly demonstrate a reduction in the rate of contaminant mass release from the treated zone.

Technology Description:

The three sites to be investigated include Watervliet Arsenal in New York, Fort Lewis Logistics Center in Washington, and Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. At Watervliet Arsenal, the effectiveness of in situ chemical oxidation using permanganate for treating both fracture water and contamination within the rock matrix will be evaluated. Technology- and geology-specific diagnostic tools will include isotopic fractionation and rock core sampling. Mass flux analysis also will be used to assess overall system performance. At Fort Lewis, the effectiveness of in situ bioremediation with enhanced mass transfer will be evaluated in the source area under different electron donor conditions. Technology- and geology-specific diagnostic tools will include isotopic fractionation, molecular techniques, integrated conventional techniques, and mass flux analyses. At VAFB, the effectiveness of six-phase heating will be evaluated with various field methods that estimate contaminant mass discharge. Mass flux measurements will be used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate overall remedial system performance.

Expected Benefits:

The results will culminate in technical guidance regarding the application of these diagnostic tools for both source zone and dissolved plume remediation. With regard to site- and technology-specific benefits, the demonstration at Watervliet Arsenal is expected to advance the state of practice regarding the characterization and remediation of volatile organic compound (VOC)-contaminated groundwater at fractured rock sites. The work at Fort Lewis is expected to show that one advantage to using bioremediation in source zones is reduced cost. Finally, a comparison of the mass discharge estimates from various methods will be performed at VAFB. The practical benefits and limitations of each method, including costs, will be presented to help practitioners assess which approach is most applicable under different conditions.
(Anticipated Project Completion - 2008)

Principal Investigator:

Dr. Michael Kavanaugh
Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
2000 Powell Street, Suite 1180
Emeryville, CA 94608
Telephone: (510) 735-3010
Fax: (510) 596-8855
E-mail: mkavanaugh@pirnie.com

DoD Liaison:

Ms. Erica S.K. Becvar
AFCEE/TDE
3300 Sidney Brooks, Building 532
Brooks City-Base, TX 78235-5112
Telephone: (210) 536-4314
Fax: (210) 536-5989
E-mail: erica.becvar@brooks.af.mil