Variation in time-to-compliance for pump-and-treat remediation of mass transfer-limited aquifers with hydraulic conductivity heterogeneity

Date

2011-07-01

Author

Gungor-Demirci, Gamze
Aksoy, Ayşegül

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In this study, the impact of correlation length (lambda) of hydraulic conductivity (K) heterogeneity on pump-and-treat (P&T) remediation period (time-to-compliance) for a mass transfer-limited aquifer is evaluated. Additionally, impacts of variance (sigma (2)), different distributions of high and low K zones and different initial contaminant masses are explored. Two different P&T policies including different number of wells pumping at different rates are employed for the investigation. Simulation-optimization approach in which a genetic algorithm (GA) is linked with a groundwater flow and contaminant transport model is used. Results show that K heterogeneity, in terms of lambda (ln K), sigma(2)(ln) (K) and respective locations of low and high K zones, significantly impacts the time-to-compliance. Contaminant presence at low K zones can increase the time required to clean up the aquifer. Lower variation is observed in time-to-compliance for the remediation design utilizing higher number of wells pumping at slower rates compared to the design with a single well pumping at a higher rate. Higher number of wells increases the robustness of P&T remediation system when aquifer is heterogeneous in K.

Subject Keywords

Earth-Surface Processes, Soil Science, Global and Planetary Change, Geology, Pollution, Water Science and Technology, Environmental Chemistry

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/47781

Collections

Department of Environmental Engineering, Article