A procedure to design a Permeable Adsorptive Barrier (PAB) for contaminated groundwater remediation

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 92; no. 1; pp. 23 - 30
• Main Authors: Erto, A., Lancia, A., Bortone, I., Di Nardo, A., Di Natale, M., Musmarra, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 2011; Elsevier; Academic Press Ltd
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Adsorption; Adsorptivity; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Aquifers; Barriers; Biological and medical sciences; case studies; Computer programmes; Computer programs; computers; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Contamination; Design; Environment Design; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; Experimental methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Groundwater; Groundwater contamination; groundwater flow; Groundwater pollution; Italy; landfills; Modelling; Permeability; Permeable Adsorptive Barrier; pollutants; Refuse Disposal; Regulation; Remediation; Soil; solid wastes; Studies; Tetrachloroethylene; Unsteady; Water Movements; Water pollution; Water Pollution - prevention & control; Water quality; Italy; Italy, Campania, Napoli; Groundwater contamination; Tetrachloroethylene; Permeable Adsorptive Barrier; Adsorption; Activated carbon; Barrier; Environmental management; Contamination; Ground water
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.07.044

A procedure to optimize the design of a Permeable Adsorptive Barrier (PAB) for the remediation of a contaminated aquifer is presented in this paper. A computer code, including different routines that describe the groundwater contaminant transport and the pollutant capture by adsorption in unsteady conditions over the barrier solid surface, has been developed. The complete characterization of the chemical–physical interactions between adsorbing solids and the contaminated water, required by the computer code, has been obtained by experimental measurements. A case study in which the procedure developed has been applied to a tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated aquifer near a solid waste landfill, in the district of Napoli (Italy), is also presented and the main dimensions of the barrier (length and width) have been evaluated. Model results show that PAB is effective for the remediation of a PCE-contaminated aquifer, since the concentration of PCE flowing out of the barrier is everywhere always lower than the concentration limit provided for in the Italian regulations on groundwater quality.