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LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF RESIDUAL LIQUID ORGANICS FROM SPILLS, LEAKS, AND THE DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTES IN GROUNDWATER
Citation:
Wilson, J. L., S. H. Conrad, W. R. Mason, W. Peplinski, AND E. Hagan. LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF RESIDUAL LIQUID ORGANICS FROM SPILLS, LEAKS, AND THE DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTES IN GROUNDWATER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S6-90/004, 1990.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
Organic liquids that are essentially immiscible with water migrate through the subsurface under the influence of capillary, viscous, and buoyancy forces. These liquids originate from the improper disposal of hazardous wastes, and the spills and leaks of petroleum hydrocarbons and solvents. The laboratory studies described in this report examined this migration, with a primary focus on the behavior of the residual organic liquid saturation, referring to that portion of the organic liquid that is trapped by capillary forces in the soil matrix. Residual organic saturation often constitutes the major volume of the organic liquid pollution, and acts as a continual source of dissolved or vapor phase organics. Four experimental methods were employed. First, quantitative displacement experiments using short soil columns were performed to relate the magnitude of residual organic liquid saturation to fluid properties, the soil, and the number of fluid phases present. Second, additional quantitative displacement experiments using a long soil column were performed to relate the mobilization of residual organic liquid saturation in the saturated zone to wetting fluid flow rates. Third, pore and blob casts were produced by a technique in which an organic liquid was solidified in place within a soil column at the conclusion of displacement experiment, allowing the distribution of fluid phases within the pore space to be observed. The columns were sectioned and examined under optical and scanning electron microscopes. Photomicrographs of these sections show the location of the organic phase within the porous soil matrix under a variety of conditions. Fourth, etched glass micromodels were used to visually observe dynamic multi-phase displacement processes in pore networks. Fluid movement was recorded on film and videotape.