Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup

Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup

  • Editor: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 9780309049948
  • eISBN Pdf: 9780309586245
  • Lloc de publicació:  United States
  • Any de publicació digital: 1994
  • Mes: Gener
  • Pàgines: 334
  • Idioma: Anglés

There may be nearly 300,000 waste sites in the United States where ground water and soil are contaminated. Yet recent studies question whether existing technologies can restore contaminated ground water to drinking water standards, which is the goal for most sites and the result expected by the public.

How can the nation balance public health, technological realities, and cost when addressing ground water cleanup? This new volume offers specific conclusions, outlines research needs, and recommends policies that are technologically sound while still protecting health and the environment.

Authored by the top experts from industry and academia, this volume:

  • Examines how the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the subsurface environment, as well as the properties of contaminants, complicate the cleanup task.
  • Reviews the limitations of widely used conventional pump-and-treat cleanup systems, including detailed case studies.
  • Evaluates a range of innovative cleanup technologies and the barriers to their full implementation.
  • Presents specific recommendations for policies and practices in evaluating contamination sites, in choosing remediation technologies, and in setting appropriate cleanup goals.
  • Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup
  • Copyright
  • Preface
  • Contents
  • Executive Summary
    • COMPLEXITY OF THE CONTAMINATED SUBSURFACE
    • PERFORMANCE OF CONVENTIONAL PUMP-AND-TREAT SYSTEMS
      • Capabilities of Pump-and-Treat Systems
      • Cleanup Times for Pump-and-Treat Systems
    • CAPABILITIES OF ENHANCED PUMP-AND-TREAT AND ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
      • Enhanced Pump-and-Treat Systems
      • Alternative Technologies
      • Barriers to Implementing Enhancements and Alternatives
    • CHARACTERIZING SITES FOR GROUND WATER CLEANUP
    • SETTING GOALS FOR GROUND WATER CLEANUP
    • CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
      • Complexity of the Subsurface
      • Performance of Conventional Pump-and-Treat Systems
      • Capabilities of Innovative Technologies
      • Characterizing Sites
      • Setting Cleanup Goals
  • 1 The Ground Water Cleanup Controversy
    • HISTORY OF GROUND WATER CLEANUP
      • Legislation
      • Early Research
      • Sources of Contamination
    • MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM
    • CAPABILITIES OF CLEANUP TECHNOLOGIES
    • THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY
    • NOTES
    • REFERENCES
  • 2 Complexity of the Contaminated Subsurface
    • THE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT
      • Physical Characteristics
        • Hydraulic Properties of Aquifers
        • Ground Water Flow
        • The Effect of Pumping on Flow
      • Geochemical Characteristics
      • Biological Characteristics
    • CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER
      • Inorganic Compounds
      • Organic Compounds
      • Mechanics of Migration
        • Aqueous-Phase Transport
        • Vapor-Phase Transport
        • NAPL Transport
      • Mechanisms for Retention
        • Sorption and Ion Exchange
        • NAPL Entrapment
      • Degradation Reactions
        • Microbial Transformations
        • Abiotic Transformations
    • SPATIAL VARIABILITY
      • Physical Heterogeneity
      • Chemical Heterogeneity
      • Source Variability
    • RESEARCH NEEDS FOR IMPROVING UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTAMINATED SUBSURFACE
      • Subsurface Characteristics
      • Contaminant Distribution and Transport
      • Reaction Pathways and Rates
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • REFERENCES
  • 3 Performance of Conventional Pump-and-Treat Systems
    • HOW PUMP-AND-TREAT SYSTEMS WORK
    • PREVIOUS STUDIES OF PUMP-AND-TREAT SYSTEMS
    • FEASIBILITY OF CLEANUP WITH PUMP-AND-TREAT SYSTEMS
      • Influence of Contaminant Chemistry and Site Geology
      • Influence of the Quantity and Duration of Contamination
    • CATEGORIZING SITES FOR CLEANUP
      • Cleanup of Sites in Category 1
      • Cleanup of Sites in Category 2
      • Cleanup of Sites in Category 3
      • Cleanup of Sites in Category 4
      • Appropriate Uses for Pump-and-Treat Systems
    • CLEANUP TIMES FOR PUMP-AND-TREAT SYSTEMS
      • Processes That Affect Cleanup Time
      • Methods for Estimating Cleanup Times
      • Example 1: The Effect of Heterogeneities on Cleanup Time
      • Example 2: The Effect of Residual Napls on Cleanup Time
      • Example 3: The Effect of Dnapl Pools on Cleanup Time
      • Determining Technical Impracticability Based on Cleanup Time
    • IMPROVING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE THROUGH PROCESS MONITORING
      • What To Monitor
      • Modifying Existing Pump-and-Treat Systems
    • RESEARCH NEEDS FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF PUMP-AND TREAT SYSTEMS
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • NOTES
    • REFERENCES
  • 4 Capabilities of Enhanced Pump-and-Treat and Alternative Technologies
    • ENHANCED PUMP-AND TREAT SYSTEMS
      • Demonstrated Technologies
        • Soil Vapor Extraction
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • In Situ Bioremediation—Hydrocarbons
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • Bioventing
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
      • Technologies in Development
        • Pulsed and Variable Pumping
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • In Situ Bioremediation—Chlorinated Solvents
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • In Situ Bioremediation—Metals
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • Air Sparging
          • Description
          • Application
          • Other Configurations
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • Soil Flushing
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • In Situ Chemical Treatment
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • In Situ Thermal Technologies
          • Description
          • Application
        • Steam-Enhanced Extraction
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
        • Radio Frequency Heating
          • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
    • ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
      • Intrinsic Bioremediation
        • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
      • Containment Technologies
        • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
      • In Situ Reactive Barriers
        • Description
          • Application
          • Limitations
          • Advantages
    • IMPORTANCE OF COMBINING PROCESSES
    • RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENHANCEMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES
    • BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
      • Technology Development Phase
        • Technical Barriers
        • Institutional Barriers
        • Economic Barriers
      • Technology Selection Phase
        • Technical Barriers
        • Institutional Barriers
        • Economic Barriers
      • Technology Implementation/Procurement Phase
        • Technical Barriers
        • Institutional Barriers
        • Economic Barriers
      • Adequacy of Action to Address Barriers
        • Overcoming Technical Barriers
        • Overcoming Institutional Barriers
        • Overcoming Economic Barriers
    • RESEARCH NEEDS FOR ADVANCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE CLEANUP TECHNOLOGIES
      • Engineered And Intrinsic In Situ Bioremediation
      • Soil Vapor Extraction and Air Sparging
      • Containment Technologies
      • Treatment Methods For Inorganic Compounds
    • EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • NOTE
    • REFERENCES
  • 5 Characterizing Sites For Ground Water Cleanup
    • GOAL OF CHARACTERIZATION
    • PLUME VERSUS SOURCE
    • MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
    • DATA REQUIREMENTS
      • Horizontal And Vertical Extent Of Contamination
      • Locations of Contaminant Source Areas
      • Hydrogeologic Setting
      • Restoration Potential
    • STAGES OF SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
    • RESEARCH NEEDS
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • REFERENCES
  • 6 Setting Goals For Ground Water Cleanup
    • CURRENT CLEANUP GOALS
      • Cleanup Goals Under CERCLA
      • Cleanup Goals under RCRA
      • Exceptions to Goals Based on Drinking Water Standards
    • ALTERNATIVE CLEANUP GOALS
      • Unrestricted Use Goals
        • Complete Cleanup
        • Cleanup to Background/Detection Limits
        • Cleanup to Health-Based Levels
      • Partially Restricted Use Goals
      • Technology-Based Goals
      • Restricted Use: Degradation with Containment
      • Comparing the Alternatives
    • HEALTH RISKS OF CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER
      • Evidence from Epidemiologic Studies
        • Limitations of Epidemiologic Studies
        • Results from Existing Epidemiologic Studies
      • Evidence from Animal Studies
      • Evaluating the Evidence: Risk Assessment
      • Uncertainty in the Evidence of Health Risks
    • ECOLOGICAL RISKS OF GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION
      • Impacts on Organisms in Ground Water
      • Impacts on Terrestrial Plants
      • Impacts on Organisms in Surface Water
      • Importance of Ecological Impacts
    • ECONOMICS OF GROUND WATER CLEANUP
      • National Cleanup Costs
      • Site-Level Cleanup Costs
      • Benefits of Ground Water Cleanup
    • THE COMPLEXITY OF SELECTING CLEANUP GOALS
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • NOTES
    • REFERENCES
  • 7 Policy Implications of a Technical Problem
    • COMPONENTS OF GROUND WATER CLEANUP POLICY
    • KEY POLICIES ADDRESSING THE TECHNICAL UNCERTAINTY OF GROUND WATER CLEANUP
      • Early Action Policy
      • DNAPL Policy
      • Technical Impracticability Policy
      • Programs For Innovative Technology Development
    • IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES
      • Broad And Equivalent Application of Policies To All Sites
      • Vigorous Efforts to Ensure That New Guidance is Applied at The Site Level
      • Continuous Program Evaluation
      • Routine Use of Scientific Experts
      • Development of A Mechanism For Long-Term Site Management
    • SUMMARY OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
    • NOTES
    • REFERENCES
  • Appendixes
    • A Summary of Pump-and-Treat Systems Reviewed in this Study
      • NOTES AND ABBREVIATIONS
      • Site References
      • Chemical Names
    • B Glossary
    • C Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff
      • Committee Members
      • Committee Staff
  • Index
  • Other Recent Reports Of The Water Science And Technology Board