1998 Journal Articles
Movement and Remediation of Trichloroethylene in a Saturated Heterogeneous Porous Medium 1. Spill Behavior and Initial Dissolution
C. Hofstee
Department of Agronomy and Soils Auburn University, Auburn, AL
M. Oostrom
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
J.H. Dane
Department of Agronomy and Soils Auburn University, Auburn, AL
R.C. Walker
Department of Civil Engineering Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 34: 293-313 (1998).
Abstract
Contamination of the subsurface by nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) is a widespread problem. To investigate the behavior of a nonspreading, dense NAPL (DNAPL) in the vadose zone, we conducted perchloroethylene (PCE) infiltration experiments in nominally 1- and 2-dimensional(D), stratified porous media. In addition, the usefulness and limitations of a multifluid flow simulator to describe PCE infiltration and redistribution under the experimental conditions were tested. The physical simulations were conducted in a column (1-D) and a flow container (2-D) which were packed with two distinct layers of coarse-grained sand and a fine-grained sand layer in between. Volumetric water and PCE contents were determined with a fully automated dual-energy gamma radiation system. While migrating through the drier parts of the coarse-grained sand layers, PCE appeared to wet the water-air interface rather than displacing any water. In the wetter parts of the porous medium, PCE displaced water and behaved as a true nonwetting fluid. PCE showed a limited response to gradients in capillary pressure and rather high values for the volumetric PCE content were measured in the fine-grained sand layers. This was attributed to the nonspreading nature of PCE. The multifluid flow simulator appeared to predict the initial PCE movement in the vadose zone reasonably well. However, the model was not capable of predicting the final amounts of PCE retained in either the unsaturated or saturated part of the flow domain, mainly because the simulator does not consider the nonspreading flow behavior of NAPLs.
Multifluid flow in bedded porous media: laboratory experiments and numerical simulations
M. H. Schroth, J. D. Istok, J. S. Selker
Departments of Civil and Bioresource Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
M. Oostrom, M. D. White
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Advances in Water Resources 22: 169-183 (1998).
Abstract
Understanding light nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL) movement in heterogeneous vadose environments is important for effective remediation design. We investigated LNAPL movement near a sloping fine- over coarse-grained textural interface, forming a capillary barrier. LNAPL flow experiments were performed in a glass chamber (50 cm x 60 cm x 1.0 cm) using two silica sands (12/20 and 30/40 sieve sizes). Variable water saturations near the textural interface were generated by applying water uniformly to the sand surface at various flow rates. A model LNAPL (Soltrol® 220) was subsequently released at two locations at the sand surface. Visible light transmission was used to quantitatively determine water saturations prior to LNAPL release and to observe LNAPL flow paths. Numerical simulations were performed using the Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (STOMP) simulator, employing two nonhysteretic relative permeability-saturation-pressure (k-S-P) models. LNAPL movement strongly depended on the water saturation in the fine-grained sand layer above the textural interface. In general, reasonable agreement was found between observed and predicted water saturations near the textural interface and LNAPL flow paths. Discrepancies between predictions based on the van Genuchten/Mualem (VGM) and Brooks-Corey/Burdine (BCB) k-S-P models existed in the migration speed of the simulated LNAPL plume and the LNAPL flow patterns at high water saturation above the textural interface. In both instances, predictions based on the BCB model agreed better with experimental observations than predictions based on the VGM model. The results confirm the critical role water saturation plays in determining LNAPL movement in heterogeneous vadose zone environments and that accurate prediction of LNAPL flow paths depends on the careful selection of an appropriate k-S-P model.
Comparison of relative permeability-saturation-pressure parametric models for infiltration and redistribution of a light nonaqueous-phase liquid in sandy porous media
M. Oostrom, R. J. Lenhard
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Advances in Water Resources 21: 145-157 (1998).
Abstract
To test and evaluate the ability of commonly used constitutive relations for multi-fluid flow predictions, results of numerical flow and transport simulations are compared to experimental data. Three quantitative experiments were conducted in 1-m-long vertical columns. The columns were filled with either a uniform sand, a sand with a broad particle-size distribution, or with a layered system where a layer of a course-textured uniform sand was placed in an otherwise finer-textured uniform sand. After establishing variably water-saturated conditions, a pulse of a light nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL) was injected uniformly at a constant rate. Water and LNAPL saturations were measured as a function of time and elevation with a dual-energy gamma-radiation system. The infiltration and redistribution of the LNAPL were simulated with nonhysteretic and hysteretic parametric relative permeability-saturation-pressure (k-S-P) models. The models were calibrated using two-phase air-water retention data and an established scaling theory. The nonhysteretic Brooks-Corey k-S-P model, which utilizes the Burdine relative permeability model, yielded predictions that closely matched the experimental data. Use of the nonhysteretic and hysteretic k-S-P models, based on the van Genuchten S-P relations and k-S relations derived from the Mualem relative permeability model, did not agree as well with the experimental data as those obtained with the Brooks-Corey k-S-P model. Explanations for the differences in performance of the three tested parametric k-S-P models are proposed.
Modeling surfactant-enhanced nonaqueous-phase liquid remediation of porous media
M. D. White, M. Oostrom
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Soil Science 163: 931-940, (1998).
Abstract
A mathematical model is developed to investigate the main processes associated with surfactant-enhanced nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) remediation of porous media. The model couples four nonlinear mass balance conservation equations (i.e., water, NAPL-phase organic, aqueous-phase organic, and aqueous-phase surfactant) that incorporate aqueous- and NAPL-phase migration and transport of aqueous-phase dissolved surfactant and organics. Rate-limited solubilization of the organic into the aqueous phase is represented by a linear driving force expression and is dependent on the surfactant-enhanced equilibrium concentration. Surfactant-enhanced mobilization of the NAPL phase is incorporated using surfactant concentration-dependent interfacial tension lowering, scaled relative permeability-saturation-capillary pressure relations, and trapping number-dependent effective residual saturations for the nonwetting liquid. Sorption of surfactant is assumed to conform to a Langmuir isotherm model, whereas organic sorption is modeled using a linear isotherm with a surfactant and soil-organic content- dependent retardation coefficient. The model is used to simulate experiments described by Pennell et al. (1996) in which the NAPL perchloroethylene was flushed from sand columns using different surfactant solutions.