Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Co-Contaminant Effects on Risk Assessment and Remediation Activities Involving Urban Sediments and Soils: Phase II
EPA Grant Number: R828771C001Subproject: this is subproject number 001 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R828771
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for the Study of Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment
Center Director: Hansel, Nadia
Title: Co-Contaminant Effects on Risk Assessment and Remediation Activities Involving Urban Sediments and Soils: Phase II
Investigators: Ball, William P. , Bouwer, Edward J. , MacKay, Allison
Institution: The Johns Hopkins University , University of Connecticut
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2007
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
The release of hazardous organic contaminants at sites of chemical disposal, processing, storage, or release has led to the contamination of surface water, ground water, and associated solids. These latter include harbor sediments, urban surface soils and subsurface geologic materials adjacent to and downstream of the chemical source. Contaminated sites typically involve complex mixtures of contaminants, the fate of which is affected by both biochemical interactions that impact microbial attenuation (e.g., cometabolic effects, competitive inhibition and toxicity), as well as competitive adsorption on solid phases. Because sediment- or soil-bound contaminants are usually not bioavailable (from either a remediation or biotoxicity viewpoint), successful prediction and assessment of fate and transport require a full accounting and integration of the sorption effects. The proposed research will evaluate the need and means to achieve improved modeling as applied to risk assessment and management for contaminated sediments and soils. The focus will be on organic contaminant mixtures, with emphasis on improved approaches for modeling the combined effects of both sorption and biodegradation.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Contaminated sites typically involve complex mixtures of contaminants, the fate of which is affected by both biochemical interactions that impact microbial attenuation and competitive adsorption on solid phases. Because sediment-or soil-bound contaminants are usually not bioavailable, successful prediction and assessment of fate and transport require a full accounting and integration of the sorption effects. Modeling has been conducted in order to better understand how sorption, mass transfer, biodegradation, and the presence of other compounds affect the fate of contaminants in sorbent-water batch systems. The context of this modeling work was the simultaneous (cometabolic) biodegradation of toluene and TCE in several hypothetical, yet realistic sorbent-water systems. The results show that the sensitivity to the different modeling approaches varies depending on which processes (sorption, mass transfer, or biodegradation) control the overall contaminant bioavailability. For example, the simulations are insensitive to the type of sorption model used in systems with low sorption strength and slow biodegradation rates. Conversely, the behavior of systems with rapid biodegradation will be strongly dependent on mass transfer effects, including possible impacts of competitive sorption. “Bioavailability plots” were developed by graphing the apparent mass transfer rate against the apparent biodegradation rate. These plots show the process(es) limiting contaminant removal and serve as a practical guide to determining the process most affecting modeling results. The bioavailability plots also illustrate the time-dependency of mass transfer and biodegradation rates in complex systems. Macropore column studies were conducted to provide a better understanding of the mass transfer constraints of solute availability. The findings are showing that the apparent diffusion rate coefficient scales with velocity.
- One project addressed the potential exposure pathways from airborne particles by linking the emissions from contaminated sites to regional air quality.
Journal Articles on this Report : 5 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other subproject views: | All 29 publications | 5 publications in selected types | All 5 journal articles |
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Other center views: | All 108 publications | 22 publications in selected types | All 20 journal articles |
Type | Citation | ||
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Haws NW, Ball WP, Bouwer EJ. Modeling and interpreting bioavailability of organic contaminant mixtures in subsurface environments. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2006;82(3-4):255-292. |
R828771C001 (2004) R828771C001 (2005) R828771C001 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
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Haws NW, Bouwer EJ, Ball WP. The influence of biogeochemical conditions and level of model complexity when simulating cometabolic biodegradation in sorbent-water systems. Advances in Water Resources 2006;29(4):571-589. |
R828771C001 (2005) R828771C001 (Final) |
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Haws NW, Ball WP, Bouwer EJ. Effects of initial solute distribution on contaminant availability, desorption modeling, and subsurface remediation. Journal of Environmental Quality 2007;36(5):1392-1402. |
R828771C001 (Final) |
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Nguyen TH, Sabbah I, Ball WP. Sorption nonlinearity for organic contaminants with diesel soot: method development and isotherm interpretation. Environmental Science & Technology 2004;38(13):3595-3603. |
R828771C001 (2004) R828771C001 (2005) R828771C001 (Final) |
Exit |
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Sabbah I, Ball WP, Young DF, Bouwer EJ. Misinterpretations in the modeling of contaminant desorption from environmental solids when equilibrium conditions are not fully understood. Environmental Engineering Science 2005;22(3):350-366. |
R828771C001 (2004) R828771C001 (2005) R828771C001 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
air quality, groundwater contamination, organics, metals, hyporheic zone, TOSC, TAB, outreach projects, Brownfields,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Waste, Water, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Waste Treatment, Contaminated Sediments, Remediation, Health Risk Assessment, chemical mixtures, Risk Assessments, Brownfields, Hazardous Waste, Physical Processes, Ecology and Ecosystems, Hazardous, Risk Assessment, brownfield sites, environmental hazards, outreach material, complex mixtures, sediment treatment, chemical exposure, contaminant transport, contaminant dynamics, environmental justice, risk assessment , biodegradation, contaminated sediment, sediment transport, exposure, Brownfield site, chemical contaminants, human exposure, co-contaminants, urban sediment, complex toxic chemical mixtures, outreach and education, technology transfer, urban environment, human health risk, web development, technical outreach, community support, hazardous substance contamination, exposure assessmentRelevant Websites:
Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments http://www.jhu.edu/hsrc/index.htm Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R828771 Center for the Study of Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R828771C001 Co-Contaminant Effects on Risk Assessment and Remediation Activities Involving Urban Sediments and Soils: Phase II
R828771C002 The Fate and Potential Bioavailability of Airborne Urban
Contaminants
R828771C003 Geochemistry, Biochemistry, and Surface/Groundwater Interactions
for As, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Cd with Applications to Contaminated Waterfronts
R828771C004 Large Eddy Simulation of Dispersion in Urban Areas
R828771C005 Speciation of chromium in environmental media using capillary
electrophoresis with multiple wavlength UV/visible detection
R828771C006 Zero-Valent Metal Treatment of Halogenated Vapor-Phase Contaminants in SVE Offgas
R828771C007 The Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (CHSUE) Outreach Program
R828771C008 New Jersey Institute of Technology Outreach Program for EPA Region II
R828771C009 Urban Environmental Issues: Hartford Technology Transfer and Outreach
R828771C010 University of Maryland Outreach Component
R828771C011 Environmental Assessment and GIS System Development of Brownfield Sites in Baltimore
R828771C012 Solubilization of Particulate-Bound Ni(II) and Zn(II)
R828771C013 Seasonal Controls of Arsenic Transport Across the Groundwater-Surface Water Interface at a Closed Landfill Site
R828771C014 Research Needs in the EPA Regions Covered by the Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments
R828771C015 Transport of Hazardous Substances Between Brownfields and the Surrounding Urban Atmosphere
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
- 2006
- 2005 Progress Report
- 2004 Progress Report
- 2003 Progress Report
- 2002 Progress Report
- Original Abstract
5 journal articles for this subproject
Main Center: R828771
108 publications for this center
20 journal articles for this center