Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A mass flux approach, which uses both hydraulic parameters and concentrations to quantify contaminant discharge, can be a convenient tool to assess and optimize remedial systems and is often better than the strict use of just a concentration-based approach. Specifically, a mass flux based approach is helpful because, many times low concentration zones can cause higher mass discharge than high concentration zones. This work presents a case study where a mass flux analysis was used to optimize the design of a hydraulic containment system.
The mass flux approach was applied at a superfund site with a heterogeneous lithology located in the northeastern United States. A spreadsheet model was developed to simulate the hydraulic conditions in the different lithological layers and to assess where most of the mass flux, that contribute to the downgradient plume, originates. The model predicted mass flux results were then used to effectively optimize the design of a hydraulic containment system, such that mass removal was maximized but groundwater flow was minimized.
| Chinnathambi Esakki Perumal , Gradient | |
| Chinnathambi Esakki Perumal is a Groundwater Hydrologist/Environmental Scientist with over eight years of experience, specializing in groundwater hydrology, contaminant fate and transport in soil and groundwater, vadose zone modeling, groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling, remedial investigation/design, and overseeing remedial operations. Esakki Perumal has successfully applied these skills to provide solutions for small- to large-scale sites, including Superfund sites, for various clients in the United States and in South America. He has also provided litigation support for cost allocation projects and used groundwater models to support environmental forensic analyses and water resources evaluation. | |
| Andrew B. Bittner , Gradient | |
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Andrew B. Bittner is a licensed environmental engineer with over 14 years of experience specializing in the fate and transport of contaminants in porous and fractured media, NAPL transport, groundwater hydrology, groundwater and surface water modeling, remedial investigation and design, and soil vapor intrusion modeling. Bittner has applied these skills to develop cost effective remedial solutions at pharmaceutical facilities, manufacturing plants, and dry cleaning facilities at sites around the world. In particular, Bittner has extensive experience developing risk-based remedial strategies, designing remedial investigations, delineating and characterizing the distribution of environmental pollutants, and overseeing remedial operations in South America. |
