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ROLE OF NATURAL ATTENUATION IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF MTBE PLUMES
Citation:
Wilson*, J T. AND R. Kolhatkar. ROLE OF NATURAL ATTENUATION IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF MTBE PLUMES. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 128(9):876-882, (2002).
Description:
The Natural life cycle of a plume of MTBE from a spill of gasoline is controlled by the rate of attenuation of the source (due to partitioning from the residual gasoline to the flow of ground water) and the rate of attenuation in the plume (due to dispersion and natural biodegradation). Rates of attenuation were extracted for plumes in California, Florida, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. The maximum rate of attenuation of the source was 0.60 per year. The rates of attenuation in the plumes varied from 0.56 to 4.4 per year. In all cases, the rate of attenuation of the plume exceeded the rate of attenuation of the source. As these plumes progress through their life cycle, they should recede back toward their source.