Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment (한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경)

Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment (한국지하수토양환경학회)
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Assessment of Natural Attenuation Processes in the Groundwater Contaminated with Trichloroethylene (TCE) Using Multi-Species Reactive Transport Modeling

다성분 반응 이동 모델링을 이용한 트리클로로에틸렌(TCE)으로 오염된 지하수에서의 자연저감 평가

  • Jeen, Sung-Wook (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences & The Earth and Environmental Science System Research Center, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Jun, Seong-Chun (Geogreen21 Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Kim, Rak-Hyeon (Department of Soil and Groundwater, Korea Environment Corporation) ;
  • Hwang, Hyoun-Tae (Aquanty Inc.)
  • Received : 2016.10.25
  • Accepted : 2016.11.10
  • Published : 2016.12.31
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Abstract

To properly manage and remediate groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE), it is necessary to assess natural attenuation processes of contaminants in the aquifer along with investigation of contamination history and aquifer characterization. This study evaluated natural attenuation processes of TCE at an industrial site in Korea by delineating hydrogeochemical characteristics along the flow path of contaminated groundwater, by calculating reaction rate constants for TCE and its degradation products, and by using geochemical and reactive transport modeling. The monitoring data showed that TCE tended to be transformed to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) and further to vinyl chloride (VC) via microbial reductive dechlorination, although the degree was not too significant. According to our modeling results, the temporal and spatial distribution of the TCE plume suggested the dominant role of biodegradation in attenuation processes. This study can provide a useful method for assessing natural attenuation processes in the aquifer contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons and can be applied to other sites with similar hydrological, microbiological, and geochemical settings.

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References

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