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A Twenty-Five-Year Examination of Zerovalent Iron for Groundwater Remediation: The Elizabeth City, NC, Case Study
Citation:
Wilkin, R., T. Lee, M. Sexton, S. Acree, R. Puls, D. Blowes, C. Kalinowski, J. Tilton, AND L. Woods. A Twenty-Five-Year Examination of Zerovalent Iron for Groundwater Remediation: The Elizabeth City, NC, Case Study. Twelfth International Conference on the Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Palm Springs, CA, May 22 - 26, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Volatile organic compounds and hexavalent chromium are common groundwater contaminants at hazardous waste sites. This presentation gives a twenty-three-year record of performance of a groundwater remediation technology used to treat volatile organic compounds and hexavalent chromium. These long-term performance data will help to improve system designs and guide the selection of remedial measures that best match site-specific hydrogeochemical conditions.
Description:
This contribution provides the longest available record of performance of the Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) technology utilizing zerovalent iron (ZVI) for the treatment of chlorinated solvents and hexavalent chromium in groundwater. Over the past several decades, utilization of in situ groundwater treatment technologies, such as PRBs, has been on the rise with a related overall decrease in the selection of aboveground pump-and-treat remedies. These trends reflect acceptance and reliance on the innovative remediation approaches for site cleanup that were developed and first implemented during the 1980s and 1990s. The PRB technology is commonly considered as a potential remedy at contaminated sites and the largest uncertainty about its use is typically related to accurately predicting longevity. Long-term datasets on remedial performance are helpful for constraining potential effectiveness; however, these data need to be relatable to site conditions. The current state-of-the-art for in situ groundwater remediation requires coupling knowledge about site geochemistry and hydrology with a mechanistic understanding of specific technologies in order to best match sites with technologies to improve outcomes. This is an invited platform presentation at the "Twelfth International Conference on the Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds."