Dr. Konstantinos Kostarelos, a professor at Polytechnic University, has been involved with NAPL research for over 10 years. Kostarelos started a new Subsurface Remediation Center at Polytech that has yielded outstanding results in recovering coal tar from soil. His research is not only focused on subsurface remediation, but NAPL detection technologies as well. For example, a recent development being studied is the use of partitioning interwell tracer testing for the detection and measurement of irregularly distributed NAPL-i.e., NAPL pools. Development of a field method for NAPL detection of is of great interest to Professor Kostarelos, and he is collaborating with Dr. Masoud Ghandehari (Polytechnic University) to develop a remote, real-time chemical sensor.

Dr. Kostarelos earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin working on an inter-disciplinary team that adapted several petroleum industry technologies for environmental applications. Dr. Kostarelos lead a research effort at The University of Texas on a new concept called "Neutral Buoyancy Approach," which is an extension of Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation and is directed at DNAPL sites. A major portion of the work was to demonstrate the effect that both the microemulsion density and the flow rate have on the vertical migration of solubilized trichloroethylene (a DNAPL) during a surfactant remediation process. The research also adapted various enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques to recovering hazardous liquids from the subsurface. For example, a portion of research work incorporated partitioning tracer and polymer flooding technology into the experiments.

Before joining Polytechnic University, Dr. Kostarelos was a Project Manager for American Airlines work at J.F. Kennedy Airport in New York. As part of a major Terminal Renovation Project, Dames & Moore (now part of URS) was tasked with investigating the entire site and developing a remediation strategy that works with the construction schedule. This made investigation extremely challenging and coordination efforts especially sensitive. Within six months, the team lead by Kostarelos investigated Jet A fuel impacted areas, developed a Corrective Action Plan, a Delineation Report and an Order on Consent for their client. The plans for remediation were developed by Dames & Moore and approved by the Port Authority of NY/NJ in that time frame as well. Furthermore, the "American Airlines Group" of D&M engineers and scientists initiated several innovative approaches to their work, such as the use of a new technology to treat MTBE impacted groundwater-which is being tried for the first time ever-and using a GIS based system over a secure Web site to allow the client expedited access to daily results from the field. Through both academic and consulting practice, Kostarelos brings many years of experience dealing with NAPLs to the ITRC training session.