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CONTAMINANT FLUX REDUCTION BARRIERS FOR MANAGING DIFFICULT-TO-TREAT SOURCE ZONES IN UNCONSOLIDATED MEDIA: TECHNICAL GUIDANCE MANUAL
Newell, C., E.A. Higgins, P.R. Kulkarni, and B.A. Strasters.
ESTCP Project ER-201328, 51 pp, 2017

The overall objective of this project was to evaluate if inexpensive flow reduction agents delivered via permeation grouting technology could help manage difficult-to-treat chlorinated solvent source zones. The approach aims to provide two benefits for improving groundwater quality at chlorinated VOC sites by (1) physically reducing the mass flux of contaminants leaving the source zone by using permeation grouting, thereby reducing risk and making the downgradient plume more amenable to management by natural attenuation processes; and (2) increasing the natural depletion rate within the source by diverting competing electron acceptors around it to create an enhanced reductive dechlorination zone. This report describes the results of a small-scale demonstration that achieved an average 64% reduction in flow through three small barriers, which was lower than the 90% reduction in flow objective, likely owing to the low permeability of the silty sands in the test area. Applications of one acre in area or more can be significantly less costly than conventional in situ remediation technologies ($996K/acre and $21/yd3 for a 1-acre site). Based on lessons learned during the small-scale demonstration, the process is moderately complex to implement in the field but with no major problems.
Manual: https://www.serdp-estcp.org/content/download/46231/430579/file/ER-201328%20Technical%20Guidance%20Manual.pdf
Final report: https://www.serdp-estcp.org/content/download/45694/425998/file/ER-201328%20Final%20Report.pdf
Cost & Performance Report: https://www.serdp-estcp.org/content/download/45695/426008/file/ER-201328%20Cost%20&%20Performance%20Report.pdf



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