Contribution 10
Submitted by: Takeshi Katsumi, Kyoto University, Japan
Schematics of contaminant sources and contaminant spreading
Sample Description
(1) Course Name/Type: Geoenvironmental Engineering/Elective course at the 3rd year of a 4-year civil and environmental engineering undergraduate curriculum
(2) Course Emphasis: soil & groundwater contamination, polluted land, contaminant transport, remediation
(3) Descriptive Title of Sample: Schematics of contaminant sources and contaminant spreading
(4) Brief Teaching Note: Spreading of the contaminants depends on the type of chemicals and the volume released. This schematic aims to convey the potential for spreading of different contaminants. Dense non aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), such as TCE (trichloroethylene) and PCE (tetrachloroethylene), can travel deep within aquifers, compared to light NAPLs, such as petroleum hydrocarbons, for which the groundwater table acts as a barrier to prevent further spreading. The bright-colored areas correspond to areas when NAPL is present, whereas the fainter-colored areas correspond to areas contaminated by contaminants dissolved into water. If we do not take any remediation measures against NAPLs, the areas contaminated by dissolved contaminants will get larger and larger with time. Same with metals in leachate released from leaking landfills or factories. However, retardation due to sorption is expected for most metals compared to TCE, PCE and petroleum constituents BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, & xylene).
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