Sediment-Based Remediation of Hazardous Substances at a Contaminated
Military Base
Principal Investigators
F.Michael Saunders and X. Wang
Georgia Institute of Technology
E-mail: michael.saunders@ce.gatech.edu
Approach
The project is investigating the use and management of integrated wetland,
sediment and soil systems for natural attenuation of contaminated groundwaters
from military/industrial areas. The sediments in wetland areas adjacent to these
military/industrial facilities have potential for transformation of specific
organic contaminants. The wetland system in question can be described as a
contaminated groundwater plume discharging into soil and sediment matrices in
which remediation by naturally-occurring subsurface and wetland processes may be
achieved. The current phase of the project is to investigate the use and
enhancement of natural attenuation to remediate fuel hydrocarbons and chlorinated
solvents in groundwaters. Project accomplishments are to include completion of
the biological activity assessments; completion of the removal kinetics for
specific organic contaminants in the subsurface soil layer; and initiation of
nutrient supplementation studies. The subsequent efforts will focus on the
investigation of soil-column studies and the development of a site assessment
model and systematic approach for engineered management of natural attenuation
into the overall site-management plan.
Goal
The research project is to advance fundamental understanding of the
transformation of hazardous substances in wetland/sediment systems exposed to a
complex array of chlorinated solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons. The research
will be conducted to develop a fundamental approach to assessing the role of
natural attenuation as a primary method for remediating wetland contaminants.
Approaches to enhanced remediation with this natural-system approach will be
pursued within the assessment of the fundamental effects of nutrient addition on
natural attenuation processes.
Copyright © Georgia Tech Research Corporation, 1999.
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Make comments to: mark.hodges@gtri.gatech.edu
Last modified on: April 16, 1999.
URL: http://www.hsrc.org/