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In Situ Remediation of Contaminants in Ground Water and Soils Using Permeable Reactive Barriers
Research Advisor: Robert W. Puls, Ph.D.(580)436-8543 email Puls.Robert@epa.gov
Research Advisor: Richard T. Wilkin, Ph.D.
(580)436-8874
Research Advisor: Robert Ford, Ph.D.
(580)436-8872
Much of the current research on groundwater remediation has focused on the
removal of contaminated water from the subsurface and treating it at the surface.
While the removal of contaminants is desirable, the costs are often prohibitive
and contaminant concentrations are rarely lowered to the required levels.
This has been particularly evident for standard “pump-and-treat” approaches.
In situ chemically reactive permeable walls or treatment zones are being considered
as a low-cost, effective alternative to treat metal-contaminated waste sites.
The chemical form of this contaminant is transformed by oxidation-reduction,
reductive dechlorination, or precipitation reactions to an immobilized and/or
nontoxic form.
Our goals are to expand appropriate laboratory techniques for assessing in situ
contaminant remediation in ground water and soils, and to demonstrate these innovative
techniques at pilot and full field-scale. In addition, research is needed to
elucidate the mechanisms responsible for chemical transformations and to improve
the efficiency of these systems. It is also important to study mixed wastes because
they are more commonly the rule rather than the exception. The treatment zone
is constructed by emplacing reactive solids (e.g., zero-valent iron) into the
subsurface. As ground water (or surface infiltration for soils) passes through
the zone, reactions can occur which cause dissolved contaminants (e.g., chromium,
TCE) to become part of the immobile matrix and/or transformed to a nontoxic chemical
form. We plan to study other contaminants and reactive materials.
This research will contribute to the development of an information data base,
and assessment and remedial design for implementation of this remedial strategy.