Groundwater-surface water interaction and its role on TCE groundwater plume attenuation

被引:65
作者
Chapman, Steven W.
Parker, Beth L.
Cherry, John A.
Aravena, Ramon
Hunkeler, Daniel
机构
[1] Univ Waterloo, Dept Earth Sci, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
[2] Univ Neuchatel, Ctr Hydrogeol, CH-2007 Neuchatel, Switzerland
关键词
hydrogeology; groundwater; shallow aquifers; discharge; ponds; streams; rivers; contaminant plumes; solute transport; trichloroethene; natural attenuation; carbon isotopes;
D O I
10.1016/j.jconhyd.2006.10.006
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
A field investigation of a TCE plume in a surficial sand aquifer shows that groundwater-surface water interactions strongly influence apparent plume attenuation. At the site, a former industrial facility in Connecticut, depth-discrete monitoring along three cross-sections (transects) perpendicular to groundwater flow shows a persistent VOC plume extending 700 in from the DNAPL source zone to a mid-size river. Maximum TCE concentrations along a transect 280 in from the source were in the 1000s of mu g/L with minimal degradation products. Beyond this, the land surface drops abruptly to a lower terrace where a shallow pond and small streams occur. Two transects along the lower ten-ace, one midway between the facility and river just downgradient of the pond and one along the edge of the river, give the appearance that the plume has strongly attenuated. At the river, maximum TCE concentrations in the 10s of mu g/L and similar levels of its degradation product cis-DCE show direct plume discharge from groundwater to the river is negligible. Although degradation plays a role in the strong plume attenuation, the major attenuation factor is partial groundwater plume discharge to surface water (i.e. the pond and small streams), where some mass loss occurs via water-air exchange. Groundwater and stream mass discharge estimates show that more than half of the plume mass discharge crossing the first transect, before surface water interactions occur, reaches the river directly via streamflow, although river concentrations were below detection due to dilution. This study shows that groundwater and surface water concentration measurements together provide greater confidence in identifying and quantifying natural attenuation processes at this site, rather than groundwater measurements alone. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:203 / 232
页数:30
相关论文
共 55 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], 1999, NATURAL ATTENUATION
[2]  
AVERY C, 1994, US GEOL SURV WATER R, V94, P4034
[3]  
BARKER JF, 2000, P INT C GROUNDW RES
[4]   Factors controlling the distribution and transport of trichloroethene in a sand aquifer: hydrogeology and results of an in situ transport experiment [J].
Benker, E ;
Davis, GB ;
Barry, DA .
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY, 1997, 202 (1-4) :315-340
[5]  
BLOOM Y, 2000, ENVIRON SCI TECHNOL, V34, P2678
[6]  
Chapelle F., 2001, GROUND WATER MICROBI
[7]   Plume persistence due to aquitard back diffusion following dense nonaqueous phase liquid source removal or isolation [J].
Chapman, SW ;
Parker, BL .
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH, 2005, 41 (12) :1-16
[8]   MIGRATION OF CONTAMINANTS IN GROUNDWATER AT A LANDFILL - A CASE-STUDY .2. GROUNDWATER MONITORING DEVICES [J].
CHERRY, JA ;
GILLHAM, RW ;
ANDERSON, EG ;
JOHNSON, PE .
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY, 1983, 63 (1-2) :31-49
[9]  
CHERRY JA, 1997, EPA540R97504 US ENV, P31
[10]  
CHERRY JA, 1997, P 1997 INT C GROUNDW, P15