Seong-Sun Lee

Evaluation of the fate and transport of chlorinated ethenes in a complex groundwater system discharging to a stream in Wonju, Korea

Chlorinated ethenes such as trichloroethylene (TCE) are common and persistent groundwater contaminants. If contaminated groundwater discharges to a stream, then stream water pollution near the contamination site also becomes a problem. In this respect, the fate and transport of chlorinated ethenes around a stream in an industrial complex were evaluated using the concentration of each component, and hydrogeochemical, microbial, and compound-specific carbon isotope data. Temporal and spatial monitoring reveal that a TCE plume originating from main and local source zones continues to be discharged to a stream. Groundwater geochemical data indicate that aerobic conditions prevail in the upgradient area of the studied aquifer, whereas conditions become anaerobic in the downgradient. The TCE molar fraction is high at the main and local source zones, ranging from 87.4 to 99.2% of the total volatile organic compounds (VOCs). An increasing trend in the molar fraction of cis-1, 2-Dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) was observed in the downgradient zone of the study area. The enriched δ(13)C values of TCE and depleted values of cis-DCE in the stream zone, compared to those of the source zone, also suggest biodegradation of VOCs. Microbial community structures in monitoring wells adjacent to the stream zone in the downgradient area were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing to identify the microorganisms responsible for biodegradation. This was attributed to the high relative abundance of dechlorinating bacteria in monitoring wells under anaerobic conditions farthest from the stream in the downgradient area. The multilateral approaches adopted in this study, combining hydrogeochemical and biomolecular methods with compound-specific analyses, indicate that contaminants around the stream were naturally attenuated by active anaerobic biotransformation processes.

Evidences of in Situ Remediation from Long Term Monitoring Data at a TCE-contaminated Site, Wonju, Korea

The contamination of chlorinated ethenes at an industrial complex, Wonju, Korea, was examined based on sixteen rounds of groundwater quality data collected from 2009 to 2013. Remediation technologies such as soil vapor extraction, soil flushing, biostimulation, and pumping-and-treatment have been applied to eliminate the contaminant sources of trichloroethylene (TCE) and to prevent the migration of TCE plume from remediation target zones. At each remediation target zone, temporal monitoring data before and after the application of remediation techniques showed that the aqueous concentrations of TCE plume present at and around the main source areas decreased significantly as a result of remediation technologies. However, the TCE concentration of the plumes at the downstream area remained unchanged in response to the remediation action, but it showed a great fluctuation according to seasonal recharge variation during the monitoring period. Therefore, variations in the contaminant flux across three transects were analyzed. Prior to the remediation action, the concentration and mass discharges of TCE at the transects were affected by seasonal recharge variation and residual DNAPLs sources. After the remediation, the effect of remediation took place clearly at the transects. By tracing a time-series of plume evolution, a greater variation in the TCE concentrations was detected at the plumes near the source zones compared to the relatively stable plumes in the downstream. The difference in the temporal profiles of TCE concentrations between the plumes in the source zone and those in the downstream could have resulted from remedial actions taken at the source zones. This study demonstrates that long term monitoring data are useful in assessing the effectiveness of remediation practices.

Application of single-well push-drift-pull tests using dual tracers (SF6 and salt) for designing CO2 leakage monitoring network at the environmental impact test site in Korea

A single-well push-drift-pull tracer test using two different tracers (SF6 and salt) was performed at the Environmental Impact Test (EIT) site to determine suitable locations for monitoring wells and arrange them prior to artificial CO2 injection and leak tests. Local-scale estimates of hydraulic properties (linear groundwater velocity and effective porosity) were obtained at the study site by the tracer test with two tracers. The mass recovery percentage of the volatile tracer (SF6) was lower than that of the non-volatile tracer (salt) and increased drift time may make degassing of SF6 intensified. The CO2 leakage monitoring results for both unsaturated and saturated zones suggest that the CO2 monitoring points should be located near points at which a high concentration gradient is expected. Based on the estimated hydraulic properties and tracer mass recovery rates, an optimal CO2 monitoring network including boreholes for monitoring the unsaturated zone was constructed at the study site.