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A New Perspective on an Old Problem, Natural Attenuation of the Lead Scavengers EDB and DCA in Ground Water
Citation:
WILSON, J. T. AND C. J. ADAIR. A New Perspective on an Old Problem, Natural Attenuation of the Lead Scavengers EDB and DCA in Ground Water. Presented at The Geosciences Seminar, Tulsa, OK, December 03, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
To review the current knowledge of the transport fate of EDB and 1,2-DCA in ground water
Description:
Tetra-ethyl lead was widely used in leaded automobile gasoline from 1923 until 1987. To prevent lead deposits from fouling the engine, 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) were added to the gasoline to act as lead scavengers. If leaded gasoline is spilled to ground water from a leaking underground storage tank, there is a potential for EDB and 1,2-DCA to partition from the spill and contaminate ground water. This presentation reviews the current knowledge of the transport and fate of EDB and 1,2-DCA in ground water. It also provides information on the distribution of EDB and 1,2-DCA at motor fuel release sites that was collected during a survey of sites coordinated by the U. S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks and the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) and evaluates the associated chance of contaminating ground water. It reviews process that can degrade EDB in ground water, including biotransformation, and abiotic reaction with soluble sulfides and FeS. It presents information on the use of stable isotope ratios to recognize the degradation of EDB in ground water.