U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Engineer District, New England, Concord, MA.
Federal Business Opportunities, FBO-2733, Solicitation W912WJ-09-R-0012, 19 May 2009

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, is seeking prospective contractors for work that includes performing long-term groundwater monitoring and associated reporting (data reports, CERCLA 5-year reviews), optimization of monitoring approaches (to include additional investigations), operation and maintenance of groundwater treatment facilities and systems, optimization of these treatment systems (incidental design work), and remedial actions involving contaminated soil, sediment, landfills, and groundwater. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity remedial action contract (RAC) will have the geographic boundaries of the North Atlantic Division mission area, although the location of the majority of the work to be performed under this contract will be specific to the former Fort Devens in Massachusetts. The NAICS code for the work is 562910, with a size standard of 500 people. The solicitation is expected to be issued in June 2009, with a projected award date in the Fall 2009 for a base period of one year with four option periods, for a possible total of five years. Work will be performed on a task-order basis. The total RAC ceiling amount will be $25,000,000 over the life of the contract. This solicitation will be issued as an 8(a) competitive set-aside. Interested bidders can download the solicitation via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. The due date for the bid will be stated in the solicitation, and instructions and evaluation factors will be provided in the request for proposal. FBO notice and contact information at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA33/W912WJ-09-R-0012/listing.html

U.S. EPA Funding Opportunity EPA-G2009-STAR-B1 & B2.
Posted Date: May 11, 2009; Closing Date: Aug 05, 2009

U.S. EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications to develop new or improved environmental public health indicators (EPHIs) to build linkages between environmental hazards, human exposures, and public health outcomes. The aim of the research is to develop indicators that can be used for long-term tracking and surveillance of environmental public health, making better informed decisions, and assessing the actual impacts of environmental risk management decisions. Proposed projects should capitalize on existing knowledge bases, data sources, or cohorts to develop EPHIs that reflect a better understanding of the relationships between environmental conditions, human exposure, and/or public health outcomes. Novel application of statistical methods or models may be needed to establish probable relationships between existing datasets or investigate the consequences of environmental actions and policy changes. Additional information at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=9yMfKJvBqHp0ZgWSyYY3nn
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National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding Opportunity PD-09-1440.
Posted Date: Mar 9, 2009; Closing Date: Submission Window is Aug 15 - Sep 15, 2009

The NSF Environmental Engineering program supports fundamental research and educational activities across the broad field it serves. The goal of this program is to encourage transformative research that applies scientific principles to minimize solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges into land, inland and coastal waters, and air that result from human activity, and to evaluate adverse impacts of these discharges on human health and environmental quality. The program fosters cutting-edge research based on fundamental science and four types of engineering tools: measurement, analysis, synthesis, and design. Major areas of interest and activity in the program involve (1) developing innovative biological, chemical, and physical treatment processes to remove and degrade pollutants from water and air; (2) measuring, modeling, and predicting the movement and fate of pollutants in the environment; and (3) developing and evaluating techniques to clean up polluted sites (e.g., landfills and contaminated aquifers), rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, and restore the quality of polluted water, air, and land resources. More information at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=glKJKVSG3G6JxmpCsJLTpv
ZmFcGwvVkhD10T0KqjnkD5jxp0HWpL!1115390264?oppId=45856&flag2006=false&mod
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National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding Opportunity PD-09-1179.
Posted Date: Mar 23, 2009; Closing Date: Submission Window is Aug 15 - Sep 15, 2009

Current areas of support for this NSF program include (1) understanding and mitigating how new developments in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology will interact with the environment; (2) examining nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety implications and applications; (3) developing predictive methodology for the interaction of nanoparticles with the environment and with the human body, including predictive approaches for toxicity; (4) researching fate and transport of natural, engineered, and incidental (byproduct) nanoparticles; (5) studying risk assessment and management of the effect of nanomaterials in the environment; (6) evaluating the effect of increased usage of renewable resources on water supply and land use; and (7) developing sensor and sensor network technologies as they relate to the measurement of these environmental implications. Current areas of support for this program do not include biomedical and nanotoxicology topics involving clinical trials. More informaiton at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=glKJKVSG3G6JxmpCsJLTpv
ZmFcGwvVkhD10T0KqjnkD5jxp0HWpL!1115390264?oppId=46228&flag2006=false&mod
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Feather, Carl E.
Star Beacon, 2 May 2009

A $2.2 million project listed on the Ohio EPA's draft list of stimulus projects as "TCE groundwater remediation" would address contaminated groundwater at the former RMI Extrusion Plant site in Ashtabula Township. If it passes a series of hearings and reviews, the project would be funded with $1.1 million in federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $1.1 million from the state's water pollution control loan fund. DOE formerly used the RMI Extrusion plant to process uranium. After the plant was closed in 1990, at least $139 million was spent to remove about 1.1 million metric tons of contaminated materials from the site and transport them off site for disposal. DOE certified that environmental cleanup at the site was complete as of January 19, 2007. The property was sold to Cochran Properties LLC later that year. The project's cleanup applicant is the Absorbent Materials Company, LLC, a Wooster company that specializes in the cleanup of trichloroethene-contaminated groundwater using reactive glass. Story at http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_122003740.html

Dougherty, Joseph M.
Deseret News, 4 May 2009

Because the groundwater flowing beneath the Utah Test and Training Range contains plumes of dissolved-phase trichloroethene (TCE), the facility was added to U.S. EPA's list of Superfund sites in 1987, and restoration efforts have been under way since 1990. During years of target practice at this training range in Utah's West Desert, the Air Force dropped dummy bombs made of iron. Building upon the knowledge that iron is an effective dechlorinator of TCE, base engineers plan to incorporate the dummy bombs into an innovative version of permeable reactive barrier (PRB) technology for groundwater remediation. Hill Air Force Base has purchased a crushing machine to turn the formerly useless hunks of iron left over from bombing practice into grains of iron sand. In the lab, the crushed bombs work just as well as iron purchased commercially. Officials plan to drill eight 12-inch boreholes 56 feet into the earth near the base boundary and fill the holes with iron grains from the dummy bombs. The borings will be placed across some of the highest TCE concentrations in the plume reaching into Sunset and Clinton. As TCE-laden water seeps through the iron columns, a chemical reaction will strip TCE from the water. Monitoring wells will be placed before and behind the borings so officials can check the barrier's efficacy. After 18 months, if the barrier works as expected, it will be expanded across the entire Operable Unit 5 plume. There is a cost associated with crushing the iron, and investigators must determine if the iron can be crushed at a rate to make its use in remediation economically feasible. For the test phase of the project, only 34 tons of iron will be needed to fill the eight holes. Some of the iron comes from Utah's training range and some is expected to come from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. And unlike the nearby PRB located in Roy, for which the base purchased 950 tons of iron for $638,400, the Air Force already owns the iron. Story at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705301446,00.html

U.S. DOE, Office of Engineering & Technology, 27 pp, Aug 2008

DOE has one of the largest groundwater contamination problems and subsequent cleanup responsibilities in the world, in terms of the sheer volume of affected groundwater, number of plumes, range of hydrogeologic settings, and diversity of contaminant types. This document identifies 74 groundwater plumes at eight DOE sites. Plume maps and assessments have been prepared for the sites to summarize the nature and extent of groundwater contamination and to identify approaches being taken to remediate the contaminated groundwater. This document provides DOE Program/Project Managers, upper management, and other interested parties with a snapshot in time of the status of major groundwater contamination and remedial approaches across the DOE Complex. The plume maps and assessments for this document will be updated annually. Available at http://www.em.doe.gov/pdfs/Groundwater_Booklet-2008.pdf

Ohio EPA, Division of Emergency and Remedial Response, Jan 2009

This underground storage tank (UST) soil contamination project consists of 17 areas of concern (AOCs) located on Rickenbacker International Airport property, north of the existing runway. The project is a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) and is being investigated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Ohio Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulation is the lead state agency. A remedial investigation has been conducted at the 17 AOCs that were part of the fuel distribution system. Most of the jet fuel USTs were removed prior to Ohio EPA involvement, and a determination of no further action has been approved for 11 of the AOCs. Ordnance is being investigated under a separate initiative in several areas of the site, and another initiative has begun to address chemical warfare materiel. In 2001, a pilot test was conducted at AOC 3 using a technology called Well Injection Depth Extraction (WIDE) to remove jet fuel and contaminated groundwater from the subsurface. The WIDE project was completed in 2007, and the entire system will be removed in 2009. Additionally, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers statement in the "FUDS Fiscal Year 2007 Restoration Accomplishments for Lockbourne," this field test of the use of prefabricated vertical wells (PVWs) to remove fuel from the shallow groundwater showed that a full-scale system would be able to reduce contaminant concentrations to allowable levels. The PVWs are water-permeable sheaths that can be installed close together to create numerous pathways for the fuel to be brought to the surface with the aid of an applied vacuum. Because of the low-permeability glacial till soils at this site, remedy selection is limited. Although the use of PVWs with vacuum has not been selected as the site remedy, the method has demonstrated the capability to recover fuel in a difficult type of soil. Similar wells have been used in construction, but their use in environmental remediation is still a new application. This was the largest WIDE field installation ever used for the purpose of contaminant cleanup.

Gavaskar, A., M. Bhargava, and W. Condit.
Report No: TR-2308-ENV, 48 pp, Sep 2008

Electrical resistance heating (ERH) was applied at Site 1 located at the U.S. Naval Station Annapolis from January through June 2006. The thermal treatment was applied to soil and groundwater contaminated primarily with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, trichloroethene, and 1,1,2-trichloroethane at depths as much as 66 ft below ground surface. The estimated mass of chlorinated volatile organic compounds recovered in the extracted vapor was 1,880 lbs—more than twice the estimated pre-treatment mass. This report summarizes the cost and performance data from the ERH application. Report at http://www.clu-in.org/download/techfocus/thermal/ERH-addendum-2008.pdf

Lippincott, D., P.B. Hatzinger, and C. Schaefer (Shaw Environmental, Inc.); J. Cullinane Jr. (U.S. Army ERDC). SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts, p G-145, 2008

For full-scale in situ bioremediation of perchlorate to be effective, an electron donor must be mixed with the perchlorate-contaminated groundwater, often in a very heterogeneous aquifer. Two primary approaches are used to deliver electron donor to the subsurface: groundwater extraction/reinjection systems that actively mix soluble donors into groundwater, and passive systems employing slow-release organic substrates that utilize natural groundwater flow for distribution. Although each of these approaches generally is effective for perchlorate treatment, active treatment systems often have significant operation and maintenance (O&M) issues due to biofouling of injection wells, and passive systems frequently produce and/or mobilize significant secondary groundwater contaminants, such as iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and sometimes arsenic. A hybrid "active/passive" approach for electron donor addition has been developed that employs intermittent groundwater extraction/reinjection to establish a recirculation zone and mix electron donor within a treatment area. Natural groundwater flow then distributes the donor. An active/passive system was installed at the former Whittaker-Bermite Facility in Santa Clarita, California, after extensive site investigation and groundwater modeling. A pair of extraction wells was installed approximately 20 meters apart and perpendicular to groundwater flow, and a single injection well was placed between the two extraction wells. A network of 11 monitoring wells was used to assess system performance. Addition of citric acid as the electron donor occurred in five active treatment phases of one to three weeks each. During the active treatment phases, the extraction wells were operated at 6 to 10 gpm total flow, and citric acid was added in large pulses, generally followed by chlorine dioxide to prevent well fouling. The system was shut down between the active events. Perchlorate concentrations in five of the eight monitoring wells in the treatment zone declined from ~300 µg/L to <2.5 µ/L during the 7-month demonstration, and concentrations in two-thirds of the remaining wells declined to <50 µg/L. Nitrate levels in each of these wells also fell significantly, from >15 mg/L to <0.2 mg/L. Iron and manganese levels increased in some of the monitoring wells, but mobilization of arsenic was not observed. The pilot test shows that an active/passive design can be used effectively to mix electron donor into groundwater for perchlorate treatment with minimal O&M to address well biofouling.

Borchert, S., J. Raphael, and L. Tatar (CH2M HILL); B. Kanzler (Reichhold Chemicals).
SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts, p G-133, 2008

Although in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) has been used extensively to treat the saturated zone, its application to unsaturated soil is an innovative use. A pilot study using sodium permanganate was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of unsaturated zone saturation during oxidant delivery into the subsurface and to determine the cost-effectiveness of oxidation on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the source area, primarily trichloroethene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene. The pilot study was conducted in fall 2006 on a 16-ft by 18-ft area to a depth of 9 feet below ground surface (bgs). Groundwater was encountered between 9 and 10 feet bgs. The maximum concentrations of TCE and cis-1,2-DCE were 66,000 µg/kg and 2,400 µg/kg, respectively. The sodium persulfate soil oxidant demand was <0.1 g/kg to 0.9 g/kg, while the sodium permanganate demand ranged from about 3 to 17.1 g/kg. Permanganate was injected at nine locations within the pilot study area. Immediately following the injection, six visual borings were advanced to 12 ft to assess oxidant distribution and level of saturation of the unsaturated zone. Where observed, the radius of influence ranged from 2.5 up to 10 ft; however, several visual borings had limited evidence of permanganate. Performance monitoring was conducted on soil and groundwater one month post injection (adjacent to the baseline locations) along with 10 additional visual borings. Permanganate concentrations in groundwater were measured post injection using a spectrophotometer. Although little visual evidence of permanganate distribution was obtained, the TCE and cis-1,2-DCE concentrations in soil decreased between 44 and 93%, respectively; however, their concentrations in groundwater increased up to ten fold. Due to tight soil in the upper portion of the unsaturated source area, soil excavation was chosen as the main contaminant removal mechanism. Permanganate then was sprayed in the open pit to address the remaining unsaturated soil and upper saturated zone. Poster 28 is at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Symposium2008/Posters/upload/W28-Borchert.pdf

DeFlaun, M.F., J. Lanzon, and M. Lodato (Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.); T.C. Onstott and E. Chan (Princeton Univ.). SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts, p G-150, 2008

The precipitation of dissolved metals in groundwater under anaerobic conditions has been the subject of numerous studies, but there has been only limited research on the mineralogy and the stability of these precipitates under variable geochemical conditions. Examining the mineralogy and establishing the rate of dissolution of the precipitates under aerobic conditions is the subject of SERDP Project ER-1373. A field research site was established at Site ST-65, a former refueling area at the Avon Park Air Force Range in Florida. Sediment and groundwater were collected from the area with the highest concentration of arsenic (As) in groundwater (1,800 ppb) and were used to construct four flow-through columns. Indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria were stimulated with injections of lactate, ethanol, ferrous iron, and sulfate over a period of several months under strictly anaerobic conditions. Both naturally occurring As and spiked As were removed from groundwater in the columns. Speciation by XANES spectroscopy of column sediments detected primarily As-bearing sulfides, including orpiment, arsenopyrite, and realgar. Aerobic water then was passed through one of these columns for a period of five months. The results of the column studies demonstrated that As can be sequestered successfully under anaerobic, sulfate-reducing conditions, and that the precipitated As sulfide is resistant to dissolution under aerobic conditions. Less than 3% of the precipitated As was released over 5 months with the addition of fully-oxygenated water. A small-scale (~30 ft x 30 ft) field pilot demonstration currently is being conducted at ST-65. A recirculation system is being used to distribute amendments throughout the test plot. The well system comprises an injection well, a recovery well, and four monitoring wells. Sediment-filled bags were hung in all of the monitoring wells and one of these is collected periodically to assess the precipitates formed. Geochemical data indicate that sulfate reduction is occurring. Analytical data indicate that the amendments are well distributed and that As is being removed from the groundwater in the test plot. Poster at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Symposium2008/Posters/upload/W134%20-%20DeFla
un.pdf

Smart, P., D. Reisman, S. Odell, S. Forrest, K. Ford, and T. Tsukamoto.
Abstracts: 2009 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Billings, MT — Revitalizing the Environment: Proven Solutions and Innovative Approaches — May 30-June 5, 2009. ASMR, Lexington, KY. p 76, 2009

In August 2008, a rotating cylinder treatment system (RCTS™) demonstration was conducted near Gladstone, Colorado. The RCTS™ is a novel technology developed to replace the aeration/oxidation and mixing components of a conventional lime precipitation treatment system for mining-influenced water (MIW). The system realizes several operational benefits, including enhanced lime utilization by the treatment system, reduced maintenance requirements, and reduced power consumption by the aeration/mixing components of the treatment process. Gladstone is located in the upper Animas River watershed near Silverton, Colorado, at an elevation of about 10,500 ft. Cement Creek, a tributary to the Animas River, is characterized by elevated metals concentrations and has a typical pH of 3.3. The American Tunnel drainage is a significant source of MIW entering Cement Creek, characterized as a reduced water with acidic pH and elevated concentrations of aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. During the two-week demonstration, the RCTS™ treated surface water from Cement Creek and MIW discharged from the American Tunnel. The system was operated at flow rates ranging from 30 to 400 gallons per minute during this demonstration. Monitoring activities involved logging field parameters, such as lime consumption, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation-reduction potential, and collection of 50 samples for laboratory analysis. This paper presents the results of the technology demonstration, with an emphasis on evaluating effluent water quality and comparing the RCTS™ lime consumption to that of conventional MIW treatment systems.

Sharmin, Nadia, Ph.D. dissertation, North Carolina State University, 269 pp, 2009

Liquid petroleum products having a density less than water are referred to as light nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL) and commonly are found at the interface of the unsaturated and saturated zones. LNAPLs fluctuate with the groundwater table and form a 'smear zone' occupied by ganglia. Remediation of these residual ganglia is extremely challenging. This project focused on investigating the extraction of multiphase subsurface organic contamination using an in situ approach termed Well Injection Depth Extraction. The work encompasses field and modeling studies. The field study, performed at a former air force base in Ohio, included an evaluation of monitoring system performance, in terms of extracted liquid and gas phases, over 185 operating hours on 38 separate days. The modeling study incorporated groundwater modeling, contaminant transport modeling, and multiphase flow and transport modeling. This study attempted to characterize phase transfer mechanism as a function of air permeability and suction head, to examine the mechanics involved with controlled lowering/raising of the groundwater table through system optimization, and to investigate the effect of subsurface hydrogeologic parameters (permeability, porosity) on the ability to extract LNAPL source and the magnitude of the residual phases. Modeling results also were used in an optimization scheme to investigate schedules for lowering the groundwater table and assessing extraction efficiency. The results from this study document field data on system performance for extraction of LNAPLs in a subsurface with lenticular morphology. The field results were used to calibrate the models used in the analytical studies. Results from the analytical studies explained phenomena related to various phase extraction based on well spacing and impact of subsurface parameters on residual LNAPL distribution and preferential phase for extraction. The optimization analyses provided a framework for establishing a process for systematic lowering of the groundwater table to target the residual phase with volatilization and to optimize well spacing for maximum removal of contaminant mass. Dissertation at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-03262009-121341/

Ottinger, Keith Everette, Master's thesis, North Carolina State University, 132 pp, 2009

Because of the public perception of the dangers of radioactive contamination, making economically feasible and socially acceptable radioactive waste cleanup decisions is often difficult. The current solution to this problem is to have the public participate in the decision-making process. Disclosure to and input from the stakeholders is supposed to make the decision more socially acceptable. The results of this approach have not always been productive, however—meaningful public involvement takes time and resources. A decision-making framework has been developed that attempts to solve this problem by creating a method for quantifying the value of the public's perception of the contamination and cleanup options. These values are then input into a multi-attribute value theory analysis that includes the direct costs of the cleanup and dose and attempts to find socially viable solutions for the decision. The framework is complete, but more research is needed for adequate quantification of public perception. A case study based on the contamination at the radioactive waste disposal site (RWDS) of the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, Russia was performed to illustrate how the framework functions. The case study is based primarily on published data of the contamination levels and other important parameters as of 2003. Some of the required data were unavailable or very uncertain, and the site has since undergone remediation; hence, the results may not represent the actual RWDS. The optimum cleanup approach was determined to be covering the site with clean fill for discount rates of 5% or less, with no action for higher discount rates. This result seems reasonable, but more research is needed to determine if it fully represents the public's perception of the contamination or the cleanup alternatives and if not how to improve the model. Thesis at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-03272009-154644/unrestricte
d/etd.pdf

Schaefer, C. and C. Condee (Shaw Environmental, Inc.); P. Altman, K. Christensen, J. King, and J. McCray (Colorado School of Mines).
SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts, p G-106, 2008

A knowledge gap concerning the dissolution of dense nonaqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs) in fractured bedrock limits efforts to predict the longevity of DNAPL sources, select appropriate remedial technologies, design and implement in situ technologies, evaluate remedial performance, and estimate remediation time. Experiments were performed under SERDP Project ER-1554 in discretely fractured sandstone blocks to evaluate DNAPL architecture and to evaluate impacts of the architecture on DNAPL dissolution rates. DNAPL residual saturations, DNAPL/water interfacial areas, and dissolution mass-transfer coefficients were measured in four fractured systems. Bedrock fracture bioaugmentation experiments using Dehalococcoides sp. (DHC) are currently underway in which dechlorination kinetics, microbial transport, and DNAPL dissolution are evaluated as a function of DHC inoculation dosage. Results showed that DNAPL residual saturations (DNAPL volume/fracture volume) ranged between 0.25 and 0.54 for the rocks studied. DNAPL/water-specific interfacial areas ranged between 24 cm²/cm³ and 57 cm²/cm³. No measurable correlation was observed between DNAPL/water interfacial area and aperture, aperture ratio, or residual saturation. The studied DNAPL/water interfacial areas were comparable to DNAPL/water interfacial areas reported in sands with grain diameters similar to the rock apertures; however, the DNAPL residual saturation in the fractures was two to four times greater than in the sands, suggesting that tetrachloroethene (PCE) dissolution rates in rock fractures may be substantially less than in unconsolidated media, as the effective interfacial area per volume of DNAPL in rock fractures was less than in sands. Comparison of dissolution mass transfer coefficients in the bedrock fractures to corresponding mass transfer coefficients measured in sands indicated that dissolution rates in bedrock fractures were substantially less than those measured in sands, even after normalizing to the DNAPL/water interfacial area. DNAPL/water interfacial area normalized mass transfer coefficients for each bedrock fracture showed a similar functionality with respect to the Reynolds number. Preliminary results from the bioaugmentation experiments showed that an effective PCE-to-ethene first-order dechlorination rate constant of 4x10^-4/hr was measured at an aqueous DHC concentration of 1x10⁶ cell/L. This observed rate correlates well to rates measured in soil columns without DNAPL present. Despite the relatively rapid dechlorination rates, an increase in aqueous-phase DHC concentrations was not observed over a 3-month period, and additional bioaugmentation did not increase the measured dechlorination rates. No substantial biofouling or clogging of the fracture has been observed.

Tracey, G.A. (SAIC, Inc.); K. Gardner and J. Melton (Univ. of New Hampshire).
SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts [posters], p G-202, 2008

Under SERDP Project ER-1493, a team is working to develop a reactive geotextile mat system as a chemically effective, mechanically stable, and cost-efficient technique to reduce ecological risks by sequestering contaminants in sediment, thereby avoiding the need for dredging and off-site placement. The mat system, if successful, would be deployed in a wide variety of environmental settings to prevent metals and organic contaminants from entering overlying surface waters, while simultaneously allowing both groundwater flux and surficial biological colonization. Various mixtures of reactive amendments for different classes of sediment contamination have been evaluated in a laboratory setting. The optimal combination—0.28 lb/sf activated carbon, 0.23 lb/sf apatite, 0.28 lb/sf organoclay—has been placed within prototype mats consisting of woven geotextile tops and non-woven geotextile backs to be positioned atop contaminated sediments at the project test site in Cottonwood Bay, Grand Prairie, Texas. Gradient ratio testing and finite element modeling experiments were conducted in a laboratory setting using both clean geotextiles and field-weathered, small-scale (6 ft x 6 ft) test mats retrieved from Cottonwood Bay to identify the non-woven geotextile most resistant to biofouling (i.e., 8 oz/sq. yd polypropylene with 80 apparent opening size) to be used for construction of a prototype mat system. A full-scale mat system featuring four different 25-ft x 25-ft test arrangements—bare single-layer geotextile, single-layer geotextile with sand cap, bare double-layer geotextile, sand cap only—was deployed alongside an undisturbed control area in Cottonwood Bay in April 2008. Following five months of soak time, the contaminant-sequestering effectiveness of the various test arrangements within this system will be monitored by passive samplers (semi-permeable membrane devices, peepers) for 30 days. Poster at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Symposium2008/Posters/upload/W222-Tracey.pdf

Silva, J.A.K., M.M. Smith, and J.E. McCray, Colorado School of Mines, Golden.
SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, 2-4 December 2008. Program Abstracts, p G-108, 2008

A key challenge to subsurface remediation effectiveness is achieving an efficient sweep of the contaminated zone during treatment. This is true of forced-injection strategies that rely on direct contact between the amendment and the target contaminant, as well as strategies that rely on uniform placement of amendments and their subsequent dissolution. Subsurface permeability heterogeneities often can limit the sweep efficiency of injected remediation agents due to bypassing of lower permeability media (LPM) during treatment. If sufficient contamination exists within this LPM, remediation fluid bypassing during initial treatment can lead to rebounding of contaminant concentrations within the treatment zone. The overall focus of research under SERDP Project ER-1486 is to explore the utility and efficacy of adding water-soluble polymers to remediation fluids to promote heterogeneity control and mitigate bypassing of LPM during in situ treatment. This presentation focuses initially on the results of 2-D tank experiments and numerical simulations performed to test and develop predictive relationships between permeability heterogeneity structure and sweep efficiency improvement resulting from polymer addition. The importance of these relationships is to allow site managers a ready means of assessing whether including polymer within remediation amendment formulations would be advantageous at a given site. Additionally, 2-D experimental results show that if dense nonaqueous-phase liquid (DNAPL) is present within a treatment zone in excess of residual saturation, the addition of polymers can promote a more horizontal migration rather than downward migration of DNAPL by enhancing the ratio of viscous to capillary forces (i.e., the local capillary number). Project fact sheet at http://www.serdp.org/Research/upload/ER_FS_1486.pdf

Fulekar, M.H., A. Singh, and A.M. Bhaduri.
African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 8 No 4, p 529-535, 2009

This review provides an overview of the current status of genetic engineering applications being implemented to improve the process of phytoremediation design for the cleanup of inorganic environmental pollutants. Paper at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/PDF/pdf2009/18Feb/Fulekar%20et%20al.
pdf

Davis, J.A. and P.M. Fox, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA.
Report No: NUREG/CR-6977, 52 pp, Mar 2009

Radioactive isotopes of iodine (I-131 and I-129) and cesium (Cs-137) are important contaminants present in nuclear waste. These radioisotopes have been introduced into the environment through nuclear weapons tests as well as nuclear accidents, such as Chernobyl. Although iodine generally is found as iodide, which is considered to behave conservatively, it has been proposed that iodide can be oxidized to elemental iodine or iodate by manganese (Mn) oxides or nitrate, which may behave less conservatively in sediments due to uptake by organic matter or adsorption onto mineral surfaces. Cs generally is present as a cation and can be strongly adsorbed by sediments. To increase understanding of the chemical behavior of I and Cs in groundwater systems, laboratory and field experiments were undertaken. While the Cs and I concentrations used in these experiments were much higher than would be relevant for concentrations of radioactive isotopes of these elements, the studies are relevant for revealing reaction mechanisms that affect the transport of these radionuclides in the environment. The results of the experiments demonstrate that not only can redox transformations of iodine easily occur in groundwater systems, but also that iodide, iodate, and Cs behave non-conservatively by adsorbing to sediments and minerals. The results indicate the importance of considering the complex redox and sorption chemistry of iodine when predicting its transport in waste plumes. Report at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/contract/cr6977/

Pennell, K.G., O. Bozkurt, and E.M. Suuberg, Brown Univ., Providence, RI.
Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, Vol 59 No 4, p 447-460, Apr 2009

A three-dimensional, finite-element model of soil vapor intrusion is a quantitative modeling tool designed to help guide vapor intrusion characterization efforts. It solves the soil gas continuity equation coupled with the chemical transport equation, allowing for both advective and diffusive transport. Three-dimensional pressure, velocity, and chemical concentration fields are produced from the model. This paper summarizes results from simulations involving common site features, such as impervious surfaces, porous foundation sub-base material, and adjacent structures. The results suggest that site-specific features are important to consider when characterizing vapor intrusion risks. Soil gas or subslab gas samples taken without proper regard for particular site features may not be suitable for evaluating vapor intrusion risks; careful attention needs to be given to the many factors that affect chemical transport into and around buildings.

Reddy, K.R. and J. Adams, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago.
Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology and Global Sustainable Development, June 2008, Hong Kong. 18 pp, 2008

This paper presents a conceptual model incorporating the findings of a comprehensive laboratory experimental program to serve as a basis for the development of a predictive mathematical air sparging model. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that the zone of influence is parabolic in shape. The hydraulic conductivity and tortuosity of the soil will affect the size of the zone of influence; larger zones of influence will result in soils with lower permeability and greater tortuosity effects. Additionally, localized heterogeneity as well as the presence of layers of soil with differing permeability can affect air flow adversely. Within coarse soils, air will flow in bubble mode, while in finer soils, air will travel in channel mode. Whether in bubble or channel mode, air flow will be greater in the vicinity of the well than at the edges of the zone of influence. Volatilization will always play a dominant role in air sparging remediation; it must be modeled as a nonequilibrium process. Adsorption, both at the microscale and the macroscale level, is only important in soils with sizeable organic or clay fractions, and it is best to model it using a nonequilibrium kinetic model. Depending on subsurface conditions, a modified version of the Monod kinetics model could be used to account for biodegradation; however, if biodegradation is shown to be insignificant, it may be neglected. Dissolution must be considered to assure the contribution of trapped nonaqueous-phase liquid contamination as a source of contaminant tailing. Advection and dispersion, both macro-scale processes, can be modeled using a form of the advection/dispersion transport equation. Almost as important as volatilization, both macroscale and microscale diffusion based on Fick's Second Law must be included to account for it as a rate-limiting factor. Paper at http://www.uic.edu/classes/cemm/cemmlab/ISEG-2008.pdf

Kim, H., M.D. Annable, P.S.C. Rao, and J. Cho.
Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, Vol 44 No 4, p 406-413, Mar 2009

Surfactant-enhanced air sparging (SEAS) was evaluated in a laboratory-scale study to assess the removal efficiency of volatile contaminant from an aquifer model contrasted to conventional air sparging, as well as the effect of mass removal of dense nonaqueous-phase liquid (DNAPL) during air sparging on the changes in aqueous flux of dissolved DNAPL. In sparging experiments conducted to remove perchloroethene (PCE) sources from laboratory flow chambers packed with sand, PCE was emplaced in rectangular zones at three locations within the flow chamber. The resident water was supplemented with an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), to reduce the water's surface tension, and then sparged with nitrogen gas at a constant flow rate of 0.12 L/min. SEAS performance was significantly more efficient than that of conventional air sparging for removing PCE. SEAS depleted about 78 and 75% of total PCE mass from the flow chamber at a surface tension of 52.2 dynes/cm (350 mg/L SDBS) and 63.1 dynes/cm (150 mg/L SDBS), respectively, whereas only 38% was removed at 72.5 dyne/cm with no addition of SDBS. Before and after sparging, PCE mass flux in the aqueous phase during steady water flow through the chamber was measured in the flow chambers. Although post-SEAS PCE fluxes were reduced, this was not in direct proportion to the reduction in PCE mass.

Kabelitz, N. (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany), J. Machackova, G. Imfeld, M. Brennerova, D.H. Pieper, H.J. Heipieper, and H. Junca.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol 82 No 3, p 565-577, Mar 2009

To examine complexity shifts taking place in natural microbial communities under strong selective pressure, investigators analyzed soils highly contaminated with jet fuel from a former air force base in the Czech Republic. The soils were at different stages of a bioremediation air sparging treatment. Detailed monitoring of the changes in quantities and composition of the microbial communities developed at different stages of the bioventing treatment progress was performed by tracking phospholipid fatty acids and 16S rRNA genes. Depending on the length of the air sparging treatment that decreased the level of contamination, a clear shift was observed in the soil microbial community, dominated by Pseudomonads under the harsh conditions of high aromatic contamination to a status of low aromatic concentrations, increased biomass content, and a complex composition with diverse bacterial taxonomical branches. [Note: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00253-009-1868-0) contains supplementary material.]

Ramanauskas, P., U.S. EPA Region 5.
Ohio Brownfield Conference, 12-14 May 2009, Wilmington. 39 slides, 2009

The slides in this presentation constitute an overview of the federal PCB regulations with an emphasis on when remediation is necessary under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Remediation options are identified, and case studies illustrate the details. Presentation slides at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/derr/Brownfield_Conference/docs/Ohio%20BF.pdf

Jennings, S.R., D.R. Neuman, and P.S. Blicker.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field Office, AK. 29 pp, June 2008

Acid mine drainage (AMD) commonly forms as a result of natural geochemical processes that oxidize metal sulfides exposed at the earth's surface by mining. Oxidation of sulfur and hydrolysis of iron result in acid-sulfate waters, which have been observed at thousands of historic mine sites and at operational mines where mitigation measures have failed to prevent the release of AMD to downgradient surface waters. Resultant low pH conditions mobilize metals from waste materials, resulting in degradation of water quality and impairment of aquatic health. AMD and associated weathering products commonly result in physical, chemical, and biological impairment of surface water. Pre-mine characterization of the risk of AMD formation often is inaccurate, leading to significant post-mine risk to fisheries, which have been impaired world-wide by releases of AMD from mining areas. Although the mining industry has spent large amounts of money to prevent, mitigate, control, and otherwise stop the release of AMD using the best available technologies, AMD remains as one the greatest environmental liabilities associated with mining, especially in pristine environments with economically and ecologically valuable natural resources. Problematic to the long-term operation of large-scale metal mines is recognition that no hard-rock surface mines exist today that can demonstrate that AMD can be stopped once it occurs on a large scale. Evidence from literature and field observations suggests that permitting large-scale surface mining in sulfide-hosted rock with the expectation that no degradation of surface water will result due to acid generation imparts a substantial and unquantifiable risk to water quality and fisheries. Report at http://www.reclamationresearch.net/publications/Final_Lit_Review_AMD_08-
22-08.pdf

Dean, J.D. and R. Mason.
IWA Publishing, WERF Report 05-WEM-1CO, ISBN: 9781843393573, 200 pp, 2009

Questions have been raised concerning the relative bioavailability of mercury (Hg) coming from various sources. For instance, is the Hg discharged from a wastewater treatment plant more or less bioavailable than Hg in precipitation, in urban stormwater, or in sediments? For purposes of this project, consideration of Hg bioavailability includes not only methylmercury, the form of Hg that readily bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, but also bioavailable and potentially bioavailable inorganic Hg species that can be converted to methylmercury within a reasonable time frame. One project objective was to identify those factors or conditions in both the effluent and the receiving waters that enhance or mitigate the transformation of inorganic Hg to methylmercury and its subsequent bioaccumulation. Profiles were developed for various sources of Hg in watersheds (including wastewater treatment plants) with regard to bioavailable and potentially bioavailable Hg and key factors in effluents and receiving waters that enhance or mitigate it. A procedure to assess the relative bioavailability of Hg from various watershed sources, including wastewater treatment plants, was developed and tested using data from a U.S. location. The report incorporates a literature review of conventional and emerging technologies for the removal of Hg from effluent streams and their effects on Hg bioavailability, along with a review of the salient aspects of Hg total maximum daily loads completed by EPA and the states. The investigators concluded that, based on available data and bioavailability as defined in this report, wastewater effluent is one of the lowest among the sources evaluated with respect to Hg bioavailability, along with urban runoff and mining runoff. Atmospheric deposition and contaminated sediments tend to be among the highest sources with respect to Hg bioavailability.

Dean, J.D. and R. Mason.
IWA Publishing, WERF Report 05-WEM-1COa, ISBN: 9781843393566, 200 pp, 2009

This volume builds upon the information gained through the research described in Volume 1 to provide guidance for wastewater treatment professionals interested in assessing the bioavailability of mercury (Hg) in their wastewater, comparing it to other sources, and assessing changes in effluent bioavailability when it is mixed in a receiving water body. The investigation results showed that wastewater effluent is one of the lowest among the sources evaluated with respect to Hg bioavailability due to its typically low levels of methylmercury. The strength of binding to solids and Hg/sulfur/organic matter associations are major factors in determining the bioavailability of inorganic Hg. Given their generally low levels of suspended solids, wastewater treatment plants employing post-secondary treatment should not contribute appreciably to local sediment Hg burdens.

Houghton, R.
CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. ISBN: 9781420086157, 453 pp, 2009

A substance found at a port of entry, waste site, laboratory triage facility, or even in a hazardous materials emergency will be labeled and purportedly identified; however, law enforcement and other first responders cannot take this claim at face value, as the accuracy is not confirmed and must be verified. A comprehensive handbook for on-the-spot investigations, this book provides those who confront suspicious substances with the tools to confirm or deny a labeled identity. The author provides a system of field tests using commonly available equipment, reagents, and instrumentation to confirm or deny the purported identity of a substance. The text introduces proven tests that take readers through the process of analysis, includes illustrations and examples that aid understanding of principles, and supplies cross references by both test and target compound for easy use during testing. The appendix provides two detailed sections on drug and explosives tests.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Environmental Restoration Technology Transfer, Multimedia Training Tools Web site, Feb 2009

Mass flux is emerging as an alternative approach for assessing sites with source-zone contaminants and for evaluating the performance of remedial treatments. Mass flux is a calculation of the mass of dissolved contaminants that passes through a cross-sectional area over time. Mass flux is expressed in the units of mass per time per area (e.g., lbs/hr/ft2). It provides an estimate of dense nonaqueous-phase liquid (DNAPL) source strength and the rate of mass loading to the dissolved phase. Mass flux offers a potential improvement over estimates of the percentage of mass removal because of the high uncertainty in direct measurements of DNAPL mass in the subsurface. This Web Portal provides a brief overview of the methods and tools used to measure mass flux and provides links to useful resources in mass flux research. The use of mass flux currently is not a widespread practice; however, researchers have proposed the use of mass flux estimates as one more tool to characterize site conditions and to assess remedial action performance before and after remediation of a DNAPL source zone. The Main Mass Flux Portal is at http://www.ert2.org/t2massfluxportal/
Various methods that have been proposed for measuring mass flux, all of which have been tested successfully in field applications. The Portal provides detailed information on four methodologies:
      •      High Resolution Piezocone http://www.ert2.org/HRP/tool.aspx
      •      Integral Pumping Test http://www.ert2.org/IPT/tool.aspx
      •      Passive Flux Meter http://www.ert2.org/PFM/tool.aspx
      •      Mass Flux Transect http://www.ert2.org/MassFluxTransect/tool.aspx

U.S. EPA Regions 3, 6, and 9, Apr 2009

The Region 9 preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) have been harmonized with similar risk-based screening levels used by EPA Regions 3 and 6 into a single table labeled "Regional Screening Levels (RSL) for Chemical Contaminants at Superfund Sites." These updated screening levels, along with a detailed user's guide and supplementary tables, can be accessed directly on line or downloaded to a personal computer. In addition, the Web site contains a Screening Level Calculator to assist in calculating site-specific screening levels. The new version incorporates new inhalation exposure equations per RAGS Part F (2008/2009), presents industrial air screening values in addition to residential screening values, discontinues the use of route-to-route extrapolations to derive toxicity values, and includes an additional safety factor for cancer-causing substances that are determined to damage DNA through a mutagenic mechanism of action. NOTE: The 2004 version of the Region 9 PRG table will remain on line for reference as a historical document; however, the 2004 table should no longer be used for contaminant screening of environmental media because the new table supersedes it. Web site at http://www.epa.gov/region09/superfund/prg/index.html

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Report No: EM 1110-1-4016, 110 pp, May 2008

This engineering manual establishes criteria and guidance for landfill off-gas collection and treatment systems. It provides information about the design of systems to monitor, collect, transport, and treat off-gas from municipal, industrial, and hazardous waste landfills. The manual describes various landfill gas emission control techniques and presents design procedures particular to each. Manual at http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-manuals/em1110-1-4016/

Report No: EPA 542-F-08-007, 15 pp, Dec 2008

This bulletin explains how environmental cleanup professionals can use geophysical tools to provide information about subsurface conditions to create a more representative conceptual site model (CSM). The CSM is a tool for gaining a synergistic understanding of the site, improving cost effectiveness, and improving decision making within the Triad approach. Geophysical tools can be applied to create robust CSMs with more complete data sets that result in a more representative and accurate depiction of the site characteristics at brownfields and other hazardous waste sites. Bulletin at http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/pdfs/Geophysics%20Issue%20Paper%20FINAL_De
c%203%202008.pdf

U.S. EPA, Washington, DC.
Report No: EPA 600-R-09-043, 62 pp, Apr 2009

U.S. EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Programs hosted a workshop on October 7-8, 2008, at the EPA Region 2 office in New York City. The workshop had the following goals: 1) provide information about new innovative technologies to help solve important regional environmental issues; 2) learn about the specific technology priorities and needs of the regional and local participants; and 3) identify opportunities for collaboration among ETV, SBIR, and regional and local organizations on technology development and verification activities for high-priority areas. Some of the technologies discussed included a handheld laser-based sensor for remote detection of gas leaks, a spot-test kit for lead in paint and dust, and a field-screening detector for metals in soil. A total of 137 participants attended. Representatives from ETV centers and their collaborators presented information about recent and upcoming technology verifications. SBIR technology developers discussed technology development and commercialization supported by EPA. Meeting summary at http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/pubs/600r09043/600r09043.html