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PROCESSES AFFECTING SUBSURFACE TRANSPORT OF LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK FLUIDS
Citation:
Tyler, S., M. Whitbeck, M. Kirk, J. Hess, AND L. Everett. PROCESSES AFFECTING SUBSURFACE TRANSPORT OF LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK FLUIDS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/6-87/005.
Description:
The document focuses solely on the process affecting migration of fluids from a leaking tank and their effects on monitoring methodologies. Based upon the reviews presented, soil heterogeneities and the potential for multiphase flow will lead to high monitoring uncertainties if leak detection systems rely on liquid sampling alone. Vapor transport is also affected by these properties although to a lesser degree. More research is needed, however, to better understand the physics of vapor transport. Vapor transport of contaminants to the monitoring sensors will also be strongly affected by the volatility of the fluid. Difficulties in detection and monitoring systems may also be generated from fluid interactions with the soil and microbes. The processes of adsorption, partitioning, and microbial alteration of fluids in the subsurface may have strong effects on the uncertainty of monitoring systems. These fate processes have received less attention than liquid and vapor transport processes and will require significantly more research before their effects are fully understood.