Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey's Toxic Substances Hydrology Program has been investigating the fate and transport of hydrocarbons in the unsaturated zone and shallow ground water at gasoline- spill site in Galloway Township, New Jersey. Research has focused on three interrelated areas of research: ground-water contaminant geochemistry, estimation of microbial degradation rates of hydrocarbons on the basis of rates of gas transport in the unsaturated zone, and vapor-extraction remediation design. Contaminant geochemistry work has produced a water-quality database that indicates zones of aerobic biodegradation adjacent to zones of anaerobic degradation with sharp chemcial-concentration gradients in narrow interfacial zones. The analysis of gas transport in the unsaturated zone has provided a method for quantifying rates of aerobic biodegradation in the capillary zone and shallow ground water. Mathematical models have been developed to simulate vapor extraction remediation and to optimize system design.
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| U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://nj.usgs.gov/toxics/ Page Contact Information: NJ Webmaster Last modified: Tuesday, October 04 2005, 05:30:39 PM |
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