Creation of a Subsurface Permeable Treatment Zone for Aqueous Chromate Contamination Using In Situ Redox Manipulation

An in situ redox manipulation (ISRM) method for creating a permeable treatment zone in the subsurface has been developed at the laboratory bench and intermediate scales and deployed at the field scale for reduction/immobilization of chrornate contamination. At other sites, the same redox technology...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ground water monitoring & remediation 2000-05, Vol.20 (2), p.66-77
Main Authors: Fruchter, J.S., Cole, C.R., Williams, M.D., Vermeul, V.R., Amonette, J.E., Szecsody, J.E., Istok, J.D., Humphrey, M.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
chromates
CHROMIUM
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
PLUMES
REMEDIAL ACTION
sodium dithionite
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
USA, Hanford Site
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
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Summary:An in situ redox manipulation (ISRM) method for creating a permeable treatment zone in the subsurface has been developed at the laboratory bench and intermediate scales and deployed at the field scale for reduction/immobilization of chrornate contamination. At other sites, the same redox technology is currently being tested for dechlorination of TCE. The reduced zone is created by injected reagents that reduce iron naturally present in the aquifer sediments from Fe(III) to surface‐bound and structural Fe(II) species. Standard ground water wells are used, allowing treatment of contaminants too deep below the ground surface for conventional treneh‐and‐fill technologies. A proof‐of‐principle field experiment was conducted in September 1995 at a chromate (hexavalent chromium) contaminated ground water site on the Hartford Site in Washington. The test created a 15 m (˜50 feet) diameter cylindrical treatment zone. The three phases of the test consisted of (1) injection of 77, 000 L (20, 500 gallons) of buffered sodium dithionite solution in 17.1 hours, (2) reaction for 18.5 hours, and (3) withdrawal of 375, 000 L (99, 600 gallons) in 83 hours. The withdrawal phase recovered 87% to 90% of the reaction products. Analysis of post‐experimental sediment cores indicated that 60% to 100% of the available reactive iron in the treated zone was reduced. The longevity of the reduced zone is estimated between seven and 12 years based on the post‐experiment core samples. Three and half years after the field test, the treatment zone remains anoxic, and hexavalent chromium levels have been reduced from 0.060 mg/L to below detection limits (0.008 mg/L). Additionally, no significant permeability changes have been detected during any phase of the experiment.
ISSN:1069-3629
1745-6592
DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2000.tb00267.x