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Objective:
Live fire training is a necessary function to maintain mission readiness. Compliance with existing state and federal environmental regulations is an important factor in the availability of training ranges. Training results in the deposition of metals, such as lead and copper, into berm soils ranging in size from whole projectiles to microscopic dust. Surface water runoff and leachate water represent two mechanisms with the potential to transport metals off-site. The technology to be demonstrated will address sites where high acidity soils are allowing high concentrations of lead in leachate water and surface water and the sites with high clay content soils that suspend well.
Technology Description:
The passive reactive berm (PRBerm) technology incorporates berm amendments that provide the capability both to buffer the sand berm and to react with lead ions as they are produced during the inevitable corrosion of metallic lead. These berm amendments will allow the pH in the berm to be adjusted, promoting chemical immobilization of the lead. This technology is focused primarily on high acidity soils and soils with high clay content. In the field demonstration, existing berms at select small arms ranges will be modified as PRBerms. Pre- and post-treatment assessments will consist of chemical analysis, soil characterization, contaminant leachability testing, and toxicity assessments. Laboratory and lysimeter studies will simulate the effects of weathering on the PRBerm during accelerated rain events and elevated temperatures.
Expected Benefits:
The benefits of the PRBerm technology when compared to traditional earthen berms include a reduction in migration of lead either as dissolved lead, colloidal lead, or lead sorbed to soil material suspended in the surface water. In addition, recycling the lead from the PRBerm can be accomplished with a commercially available rotary screen bucket mounted on a loader. It is estimated that the recovered lead from this activity will offset the cost of maintenance for the PRBerm as opposed to the expenditure for lead recovery/recycling from earthen berms.
(Anticipated Project Completion - 2006)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Steven Larson
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
ATTN: CEERD-EP-E
3909 Halls Ferry Road
Vicksburg, MS 39180
Telephone: (601) 634-3431
Fax: (601) 634-2742
E-mail: Steven.L.Larson@erdc.usace.army.mil |
