Contamination from Sources with Mixed Wastes
Many contaminant sources introduce a diverse and complex mixture of organic and inorganic
contaminants into the subsurface, which can complicate characterizations of contaminant transport,
fate and effects. These sources include landfills and wastewater discharges. The resulting
contaminant plumes are difficult to characterize, manage, and remediate. Reactions among dissolved
chemicals, reactions between dissolved chemicals and the aquifer material, and microbial reactions
can significantly accelerate or retard contaminant movement and complicate natural and engineered
cleanup. Ongoing research focuses on defining source mixtures, developing field methods for
characterization, quantifying transport processes and development of simulation modeling
capabilities. Current research focuses on the following three areas:
Landfill Leachate in Alluvial Aquifers --
Norman, Oklahoma
Sewage Contamination in Sand and Gravel
Aquifers -- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Mixed, Low-level Radioactive and Other Wastes
-- Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada
Program Headlines on Mixed Waste Contamination Research
Fact Sheets
New Publications
Upcoming Publications
- Fate of consumer product chemicals in the subsurface environment--25 Years of research on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA: Barber, L.B., in Hill, M.C., ed., Groundwater Quality 2007--Securing Groundwater Quality in Urban and Industrial Environments: International Association of Hydrological Sciences IAHS Redbook (IN PRESS).
- Subsurface fate and transport of 4-nonylphenol, 17Β-estradiol, and sulfamethoxazole: Barber, L.B., Meyer, M.T., LeBlanc, D.R., Kolpin, D.W., Bradley, P.M., Chapelle, F.H., and Rubio, F., in Hill, M.C., ed., Groundwater Quality 2007--Securing Groundwater Quality in Urban and Industrial Environments: International Association of Hydrological Sciences IAHS Redbook (IN PRESS).
- Case study of a full-scale evapotranspiration cover: McGuire, P.E., Andraski, B.J., and Archibald, R., Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (IN PRESS).
Newly Published
- Coupled effect of chemotaxis and growth on microbial distributions in organic-amended aquifer sediments--Observations from laboratory and field studies: Wang, M., Ford, R.M., and Harvey, R.W., 2008, doi:10.1021/es702392h (Advanced Web release).
- Differences in evaporation between a floating pan and class A pan on land: Masoner, J.R., Stannard, D.I., and Christenson, S.C., 2008, doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2008.00181.x (Advanced Web release).
- Coupled effect of chemotaxis and growth on microbial distributions in organic-amended aquifer sediments--Observations from laboratory and field studies: Wang, M., Ford, R.M., and Harvey, R.W., 2008, doi:10.1021/es702392h (Advanced Web release).
- Transport of elemental mercury in the unsaturated zone from a waste disposal site in an arid region: Walvoord, M.A., Andraski, B.J., Krabbenhoft, D.P., and Striegl, R.G., 2008, Applied Geochemistry, v. 23, no. 3, p. 572-583, doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.014.
- Determination of dominant biogeochemical processes in a contaminated aquifer-wetland system using multivariate statistical analysis: Báez-Cazull, S.E., McGuire, J.T., Cozzarelli, I.M., and Voytek, M.A., 2008, Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, no. 1, p. 30-46, doi:10.2134/jeq2007.0169.
- Biodegradation in contaminated aquifers--Incorporating microbial/molecular methods: Weiss, J.V., and Cozzarelli, I.M., 2008, Ground Water, doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2007.00409.x (Advanced web release).
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