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U. S. EPA’S NA APPROACH FOR PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS
Citation:
WILSON, J. T. U. S. EPA’S NA APPROACH FOR PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS. Presented at Workshop for EPA of Taiwan on Natural Attenuation as Remediation for Contaminated Sites, Taipei, TAIWAN, October 26 - 27, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Most evaluations of NA of petroleum hydrocarbons use geochemical data to document the NA through biodegradation. The expected trends during biodegradation (plume interior vs. background concentrations) are Dissolved oxygen concentrations below background, Nitrate concentrations below background, Iron (II) concentrations above background, Sulfate concentrations below background, and Methane concentrations above background. Where natural attenuation is successful as a remedy, the rate of biodegradation in the plume is greater than the rate of natural attenuation of the source, and as a result, the plumes retreat back upon themselves. Where NA is successful, most plumes have rate constants for attenuation in ground water of 0.2 per year or faster.