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PERFORMANCE OF ACTIVE IN SITU REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR TREATMENT OF MTBE AND BENZENE AT UST SOURCE AREAS IN KANSAS
Citation:
Hattan, G., B. H. Wilson, AND J T. Wilson*. PERFORMANCE OF ACTIVE IN SITU REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR TREATMENT OF MTBE AND BENZENE AT UST SOURCE AREAS IN KANSAS. Presented at 2nd European Conf. on MTBE, Barcelona, SPAIN, November 04 - 05, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Both MtBE and Benzene are present at over 86% of the Underground Storage Tank sites in Kansas, USA that require active remediation. In situ remedial technologies, consisting primarily of soil vapor extraction and air sparging, are the preferred choice for treatment for MtBE sites in Kansas. To compare the relative performance of these conventional technologies for treating MtBE to performance for treating Benzene, data were collected from 66 sites where in situ remedial technology for active cleanup has been implemented. The 66 sites were selected from a pool of 166 sites in active remediation. The 66 sites all met the following criteria: All had both MtBE and Benzene concentrations above the reporting limit of 1 g/l and all had at least two rounds of groundwater analytical data. Sites with free product were eliminated from consideration. All of the resulting 66 sites were located within 4 kilometer of a receptor well and all sites were located in an aquifer used for drinking water.
The proportional reduction in concentration of the two contaminants at each site was calculated by dividing the maximum concentration of each contaminant at each system at the time of startup by the current concentration of the contaminant (C/Co). The extent of treatment, C/Co, was greater for MtBE (significant at P=0.032). The geometric mean on the extent of treatment was 0.057 for MtBE, compared to 0.14 for benzene. Of the 66 sites considered in this survey, 15 had met cleanup goals for Benzene and 50 met the goal for MtBE. The suite of in situ remedial technologies that are used in Kansas work at least as well for MtBE as they work for Benzene.