Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System
One of the biggest challenges to treating contaminated aquifers with chemical oxidants is achieving uniform coverage of the target zone. In an effort to maximize coverage, we report the design and installation of a novel aerated, slow-release oxidant delivery system that can be installed by direct-p...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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Series: | Water |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3383 |
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author | James Reece Mark Christenson Ann Kambhu Yusong Li Clifford E. Harris Steve Comfort |
author_facet | James Reece Mark Christenson Ann Kambhu Yusong Li Clifford E. Harris Steve Comfort |
author_sort | James Reece |
collection | DOAJ |
description | One of the biggest challenges to treating contaminated aquifers with chemical oxidants is achieving uniform coverage of the target zone. In an effort to maximize coverage, we report the design and installation of a novel aerated, slow-release oxidant delivery system that can be installed by direct-push equipment. By continuously bubbling air beneath a slow-release oxidant in situ, an airlift pump is created that causes water and oxidant to be dispersed from the top of the outer screen and drawn in at the bottom. This continuous circulation pattern around each drive point greatly facilitates the spreading of the oxidant as it slowly dissolves from the wax matrix (i.e., oxidant candle). Given that the aeration rate controls the outward flow of oxidant from the outer screen in all directions, the radius of influence around each drive point is largely a function of the outward velocity of the oxidant exiting the screen and the advection rate opposing the upgradient and lateral spreading. Temporal sampling from three field sites treated with the aerated oxidant system are presented and results show that contaminant concentrations typically decreased 50–99% within 6–9 months after installation. Supporting flow tank experiments that demonstrate oxidant flow patterns and treatment efficacy are also presented. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:23:44Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-d9ec7e4e7c7f440a915bed4652282ada |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2073-4441 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:23:44Z |
publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Water |
spelling | doaj.art-d9ec7e4e7c7f440a915bed4652282ada2023-11-20T23:13:18ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-12-011212338310.3390/w12123383Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery SystemJames Reece0Mark Christenson1Ann Kambhu2Yusong Li3Clifford E. Harris4Steve Comfort5AirLift Environmental, LLC, 5900 N. 58th, Suite 5, Lincoln, NE 68507, USAAirLift Environmental, LLC, 5900 N. 58th, Suite 5, Lincoln, NE 68507, USADepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-6105, USADepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-6105, USADepartment of Chemistry, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224, USAAirLift Environmental, LLC, 5900 N. 58th, Suite 5, Lincoln, NE 68507, USAOne of the biggest challenges to treating contaminated aquifers with chemical oxidants is achieving uniform coverage of the target zone. In an effort to maximize coverage, we report the design and installation of a novel aerated, slow-release oxidant delivery system that can be installed by direct-push equipment. By continuously bubbling air beneath a slow-release oxidant in situ, an airlift pump is created that causes water and oxidant to be dispersed from the top of the outer screen and drawn in at the bottom. This continuous circulation pattern around each drive point greatly facilitates the spreading of the oxidant as it slowly dissolves from the wax matrix (i.e., oxidant candle). Given that the aeration rate controls the outward flow of oxidant from the outer screen in all directions, the radius of influence around each drive point is largely a function of the outward velocity of the oxidant exiting the screen and the advection rate opposing the upgradient and lateral spreading. Temporal sampling from three field sites treated with the aerated oxidant system are presented and results show that contaminant concentrations typically decreased 50–99% within 6–9 months after installation. Supporting flow tank experiments that demonstrate oxidant flow patterns and treatment efficacy are also presented.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3383airlift pumpgroundwater remediationmodular oxidant delivery systemoxidant cylindersoxidant delivery device |
spellingShingle | James Reece Mark Christenson Ann Kambhu Yusong Li Clifford E. Harris Steve Comfort Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System Water airlift pump groundwater remediation modular oxidant delivery system oxidant cylinders oxidant delivery device |
title | Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System |
title_full | Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System |
title_fullStr | Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System |
title_full_unstemmed | Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System |
title_short | Remediating Contaminated Groundwater with an Aerated, Direct-Push, Oxidant Delivery System |
title_sort | remediating contaminated groundwater with an aerated direct push oxidant delivery system |
topic | airlift pump groundwater remediation modular oxidant delivery system oxidant cylinders oxidant delivery device |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3383 |
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