AEPA
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Technology Innovation Office
EPA/540/M-90/010 No. 3 December 1990
The applied technologies journal for Superfund removals and remedial actions and RCRA corrective actions
Innovations in
Monitoring &
Measurement
Special Supplement
toTECHTKENDS
rott will notice that this edition
otTeck Trends contains an insert,
"Innovations in Monitoring and
Measurement Technologies",
Although the focus of Tech Trends
is usually on innovative cleanup
technologies ready for field
application, we also wanf to bring
you news of other emerging tools
that can assist you in emergency
response, remediation, and
corrective actions. Therefore,
from time to time, we will include
3 special supplement like this one,
In it, EPA's Environmental
Monitoring Systems Laboratory in
las Vegas showcases three
portable monitoring systems. The
EPA Environmental Research
Laboratory in Athens, Georgia,
highlights a muln'spectrat
identification technique for non-
target analytes that improves upon
the current low resolution system.
The Athens Jab also presents
information on alternatives to the
Eh Probe for measuring mobility
of heavy metals. Ada introduces
BIQPOME It
The monitoring supplement
may whet your appetite for the
upcoming February symposium on
monitoring. See "Conference
Alerf* on page 4 for more
information,,
On-Site Bioremediation at Scott
Lumber Under a Performance Contract
by Bruce Morrison, RPM, Region VII
Creosote
(BAP, PAHs)
Bioremediation
Soil
cott Lumber in Missouri is one of the largest Superfund
sites in the United States where bioremediation has been
employed. EPA's Region vn Emergency Planning and
Response Branch (EP&R) laid the groundwork well for their
choice of bioremediation. EP&R suspected that indigenous
microbes were present at the site that could possibly convert
the creosote contaminated soil into harmless compounds on-site. But concentration levels
of the creosote compounds were quite high. For exzrnple, creosote contamination revealed
concentrations of benzo-a-pyrene (BAP) as high as 260 parts per million (ppm), with total
concentration levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as high as 64,000 ppm.
Any cleanup at the site had to protect the aquifer tha!t is the primary source of drinking
water for Alton, Missouri.
EPA established cleanup levels for the site at concentrations less than 14 ppm for
BAP and 500 ppm for total PAHs. EP&R then conducted a literature search and tasked
their Technical Assistance Team (TAT) to perform a treatability study, independent of
cleanup contractors, to determine the feasibility of bioremediation. Both the literature and
the treatability study indicated a strong potential for significant biodegradation of creosote
compounds and possible cost savings when compansd to conventional off-site disposal.
EPA's Emergency Response Contractor for Region VII subcontracted the services of
Remediation Technologies, Inc. (RETEC) to clean up the site using bioremediation. The
contract agreement was written as a fixed-price, performance specification contract; that
(see Bioremediation, page 3)
ATTIC: Thermal! Treatment
The Alternative Treatment
Technology Information
Center Database contains
231 ciitafions on Thermal
Treatment.
^ See "Out of the A TTIC"on page 3
-zzZ^' for °ne user's experience.
-------
Bioremediation
for Both Soil
and Ground
Water On-Site
Creosote
(PAH, PGP)
Biodegradation
Soil and
ground water
contam-
inants
known to be
biodegrad-
able and
indigenous
microbes on-site to do the biodegrading,
the signs pointed toward bioremediation
to clean up both soil and ground water
at the Champion International Super-
fund Site in Libby, Montana. Over the
years, the major contaminants at the
site—creosote and polycyclic aromatic
compounds and pcntachlorophenol from
former wood preserving operations—
had contaminated a number of soil areas
and migrated into the upper aquifer. A
waste pit was also a source of ground-
water contamination. Champion
International, Inc. and Woodward
Clyde, Inc. of Denver conducted bench-
scale laboratory studies and pilot-scale
in situ bioremediation studies that
indicated that biodegradation hi the soil
was occurring and could be further
enhanced by bioremediation treatment
techniques. They determined that the
ground water could be treated through
bioremediation as well. The full scale
bioremediation remedial design and
remedial action are in various stages of
implementation. Most of the cleanup
work to date has focused on the
contaminated soil.
The remediation contractor did not
have to construct a special stockpile
area for the soils. Soils from the
contaminated areas scattered throughout
the site are excavated and brought to the
pre-existing waste pit. The pit serves as
a staging area to pretreat the soils. In
the pit, biodegradation is enhanced as
soil is sprinkled with water and nutrients
to support the growth and activity of
bacteria. Further, a tiller aerates and
homogenizes the soil, so that the soil
concentrations are relatively even when
placed on the final land treatment area.
However, prior to being placed in
(see Soil and Ground Water, page 4)
SITE Subjects
On-Site Chemical Destruction
of Organics with Ultraviolet
Radiation and Oxidation
by Norma M. Lewis
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
TCE
UV radiation/
oxidation
Ground water
11 a former drum recycling facility in San Jose, Califor-
nia, EPA demonstrated an innovative ultraviolet (UV)
radiation/oxidation technology to treat ground water contami-
nated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Seven
VOCs had been identified in the ground water, of which
trichloroethylene (TCE), was the major contaminant. The ground water
also contained dichloroethane (1,1-DCA) and 1,1,1-trichlorethane (1,1,1-TCA), which are
relatively difficult to oxidize. The UV radiation/oxidation technology, developed by
Ultrox International, chemically destroys organics in liquids (including those VOCs
difficult to oxidize), with little or no harmful residuals from the process. During the
testing at the San Jose site, no VOCs were detected in the exhaust from the treatment unit.
The efficiency of destruction rendered the ground water hi compliance with National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) standards at the 95% confidence level.
Essentially, the process uses a combination of UV radiation, ozone and hydrogen
peroxide to oxidize organic compounds in water. The treatment system is comprised of
four different treatment modules that are mounted on skids. The ozone generator module
and hydrogen peroxide system feed into the UV radiation/oxidation reactor module. The
liquid to be treated (ground water in the case of the San Jose site) is fed into the UV
radiation/oxidation reactor. The reactor is divided into six chambers. Each chamber
contains ultraviolet lamps and a diffuser that uniformly bubbles and distributes the ozone
gas from the ozone generator through the liquid. The combination of the UV radiation,
hydrogen peroxide and ozone chemically destroys the VOCs. Off-gassing ozone and any
remaining VOCs hi the reactor go to the catalytic ozone decomposer unit on top of the
reactor where they are destroyed. The system allows you to enhance the oxidation of the
organics according to the level of concentrations of the contaminants by adjusting
parameters such as oxidant dose, UV radiation intensity and the pH level of the incoming
ground water.
You have the option of pumping ground water directly from the aquifer into the
reactor or of storing the liquid above ground for subsequent feeding into the reactor. At
the San Jose site, the ground water was pumped into storage tanks because the flow from
the wells was insufficient to support enough volume of water for flow through the reactor.
The water was stored in inflatable heavy plastic bladder tanks. The construction of the
inflatable tanks allows them to be filled to capacity, so that VOCs do not have space in
the tank to off-gas into the air.
The Ultrox system achieved removal efficiencies as high as 90% for the total VOCs.
The removal efficiency for TCE, the major contaminant at the site, was greater than 99
percent. The maximum removal efficiencies for 1,1-DCA and 1,1,1-TCA were about 65
and 85 percent respectively.
Use of the UV radiation/oxidation process at the San Jose site was part of the EPA
Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program. Overall, this treatment
technology is intended to destroy dissolved organic contaminants, including chlorinated
hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds, that are present hi wastewater or ground water •
(see UV Radiation/Oxidation, page 4)
-------
A Supplement to TECH TRENDS
December 1990
— "^^^^^^^^i^^n^^mf^^^m
Innovations in
& Measurement Technologies
Innovative site investigation
techniques are of increasing
interest to those attempting
to reduce the cost and
increase the effectiveness of
site remediation. This is one
of a series of occasional
supplements to Tech Ttencfe,
the applied technologies
journal for Superfund remov-
als and remedial actions and
RCRA corrective actions.
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
OHice of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Technology innovation Office
waiter w. Kovaifok, jr., PH.D.
Director
Chemical Warfare Defense Evolves Into
Portable GC/MS for Hazardous Waste Sites
By Stephen Billets
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is the EPA-recommended
method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
semivolatile organic compounds. Until recently, it was not feasible to bring
a GC/MS instrument to a hazardous waste site because its size and weight
made it too cumbersome to handle. However, field-portable mass spec-
trometers were developed for military use in the mid-1980s to detect residual
chemical warfare agents and have now been applied to the analysis of
samples at hazardous waste sites. The Superfurd Innovative Technology
Evaluation (SITE) program recently demonstrated a mobile mass spectrometry
system, developed by Bruker Instruments, Inc., at two Superfund sites in
Region I: the Re-Solve, Inc., Site with PCB-laden soil and the Westborough
Township Site with PAH-contaminated soil and VOCs in ground water. Test
results harbinger field portable GC/MS as a major field technology for the
t ./>7w9«
The Bruker mobile environmental monitor (MEM) measures about 20" x 20" x
30" and weighs about 500 pounds. It can be mounted on a four-wheel drive
continued on page 6
BIOPLUME II Prediction of Natural Bioremediation
in Ground Water Saves $3 Million at Traverse City Site
By Joseph Williams
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory, Ada
EPA's Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory (RSKERL) has developed BIOPI.UME II, a two-dimensional
ground water model that can help you determine whether or not natural biodegradation can effectively remediate
dissolved hydrocarbons in ground water. BIOPLUME II was used at the U.S. Coast Guard air station at Traverse City,
continued on page 4
-------
A Supplement to TECH TRENDS
December 1990
Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence for Inorganic Analysis
By William H. Engelmann
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas
X-ray fluorescence has been a
standard laboratory method for
years and the recent availability
of portable instruments now
allows this method to be taken
Into the field for use at hazard-
ous waste sites. Field-portable
X-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) is a
site screening procedure using a
small, portable instrument that
provides a rapid turnaround,
low-cost method for in situ
analysis of inorganic contami-
nants. The conventional
methods of analyses in fixed
location laboratories take from
20-45 days while FPXRF takes
about three days and costs less
than conventional laboratory
analysis. The design of FPXRF
provides flexibility for two
levels of analysis: in situ
analysis and hot spot screening.
FPXRF, while not strictly
equivalent to conventional
laboratory analyses, produces
quantitative results because the
FPXRF is calibrated based on
limited conventional laboratory
analyses of soil samples from
the site. The in situ analysis is
combined with a pre-survey
aerial photographic evaluation
of the site, documented quality
control and geostatistical
interpretation to produce
isopleth maps denoting concen-
tration levels for contaminants at
various site locations. The com-
plete procedure from pre-survey
through the final report takes about
six weeks and costs between
$25,000 and $50,000. FPXRF has
been used at a number of sites.
For "hot spot" screening, site-
specific calibration samples are not
used. Calibration is based on
standards taken from similar sites.
The results are useful for detecting
surficial contaminant "hot spots"
and merely indicate relative
differences between measurements
taken at the site. This "hot spot"
screening is the most basic survey
and generally takes less than a
week at a cost of approximately
$10,000 to $20,000. However, it is
only a qualitative method and is not
recommended as a substitute for the
complete procedure. "Hot spot"
screening is most appropriately
used for some emergency response
situations.
Six elements have been successfully
analyzed by EMSL-LV using FPXRF:
arsenic, chromium, copper, iron,
lead and zinc. Other EPA Inorganic
Target Analyte List elements may be
quantifiable with FPXRF when
appropriate standards and radioiso-
tope sources are used. Also, costs
are expected to significantly
decrease with the advent of the
automated locating and data
logging system due in early
1991.
FPXRF has been used at varied
sites, including battery plating,
tannery and mining operations
and a lead smelter. For
example, FPXRF measured zinc
at the Palmerton Zinc Site in
Pennsylvania; mercury at the
Orrington Mercury Site in
Maine; chromium at the
Vander Horst Site in New York
State; lead in painting sludge
waste at Caldwell Trucking in
New Jersey and at a Tonolli
Metals mining site in the
Appalachian Mountains of
Pennsylvania; lead and arsenic
at Halby Chemical in Dela-
ware; and cadmium, zinc,
chromium and lead at New
Hampshire Plating.
Remedial Project Managers and
On Scene Coordinators can
contact a Regional contractor
with the necessary equipment
and expertise to perform an
FPXRF survey. If special
assistance is needed, you can
contact the Technical Support
Center at EMSL-LV for expert
advice. For more information,
contact Ken Brown at EMSL-LV
at FTS 545-2270 or 702-798-
2270.
-------
A Supplement to TECH TRENDS
December 1990
Multispectral Identification Techniques Improve
Identification of Non-Target Analytes
By William T. Donaldson, Environmental Research Laboratory, Athens and
Mary Moorcones, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
The EPA Athens Environmental
Research Laboratory (AERL) can
help you turn tentatively identi-
fied and unknown compounds at
your sites into definitely identi-
fied compounds! A research
team at AERL is applying multi-
spectral identification techniques
that can identify, with a high
degree of confidence, most of the
organic chemicals for which
mass spectral information can be
obtained. For the identification
of non-target analytes, the
technique offers a marked
improvement over the current
low resolution electron impact
mass spectrum (Method 8270)
used by Superfund contract
laboratories in their gas chro-
matograph/mass spectrometry
analyses. Although Method
8270 can provide reliable
identifications of the 234 compounds
targeted for detection at Superfund
sites, it is only about 25% accurate
for identification of unknown com-
pounds. Whereas the universe of
compounds that Method 8270 can
identify accurately is constrained by
the fact that the computer library is
geared to the 234 target analytes,
multispectral identification is driven
by the ability to piece together highly
definitive pieces of information for
the full array of semivolatile com-
pounds.
Here's how it works. In addition to
the low resolution electron impact
mass spectra that are produced by
Method 8270, the AERL multispectral
identification team develops addi-
tional spectroscopic information,
which is pieced together to reveal the
identities of the unknown com-
pounds. High resolution
chemical ionization mass spectra
tell the analyst the number of
atoms of each chemical element
in the compound and high
resolution electron impact mass
spectra provide similar informa-
tion for key fragments of the
molecule. Infrared spectra
indicate the presence of func-
tional groups that are character-
istic of compound types, such as
aldehydes or ketones. During
one recent study, the AERL team
identified 63 of 70 non-target
compounds in industrial waste-
water samples.
AERL is eager to help Superfund
site managers. For more infor-
mation, contact John Me Guire
at AERL at FTS-250-3185 or 404-
546-3185.
Rethinking Measurement Methods for Mobility of Heavy Metals
By David S. Brown, Environmental Research Laboratory, Athens and
Kevin Novo-Gradac, AScI Corporation
The EPA Athens Environmental
Research Laboratory (AERL) has
several alternative ways to
determine the mobility of
metals at Superfund sites that
overcome some of difficulties
of the often-used platinum
electrode probe method. The
alternatives measure the oxidation/
reduction (redox) potential, Eh, as a
way of measuring mobility of
metals. We will briefly discuss
some of the problems posed with
the platinum electrode method and
then briefly describe several
alternatives.
While the platinum electrode
l:h measurements are effective
in some idealized laboratory
systems, the measurements in
the field are often plagued by
problems and should be held
continued on page 4
-------
A Supplement to Tf CH TRENDS
December 1990
BIOPLUME II
from page 1
Michigan where a spill of
aviation gasoline had contami-
nated the shallow ground
water. BIOPLUME II, in
combination with other
assessment techniques, indi-
cated that natural processes
would destroy the contami-
nated plume that had reached
the residential area down-
gradient before the Coast
Guard could let a contract and
get a pump-and-treat remedy
installed. The special assess-
ments used in combination
with BIOPLUME II included a
geochemical characterization
of the plume and microcosm
studies establishing that
microbial degradation of the
contaminants was taking place.
Prior to these assessments, the
State of Michigan was going to
require, as a result of court
action, that the Coast Guard
install interdiction wells and a
pump-and-treat system.
Indeed, the Coast Guard had
already installed a series of the
interdiction wells down-
gradient of the source area to
create a hydraulic barrier to
contain the contaminants
within the boundary of the
Coast Guard base. However,
the strength of the assessment
evidence convinced the State
of Michigan that further
remediation beyond interdic-
tion wells was of no value and
thus saved the Coast Guard an
estimated $3 million in reme-
diation costs.
BIOPLUME II simulates the trans-
port of dissolved hydrocarbons in
ground water and the effect of
oxygen-limited biodegradation on
these contaminants. You can take
the information from BIOPLUME II
and use it with any graphics
software to produce contaminant
plume, oxygen distribution and
head maps. This version of
BIOPLUME II is available for DOS-
compatible computers.
You can also use BIOPLUME II as a
component of RSKERL's OASIS
Parameter Estimation System, a
decision support system developed
on the Macintosh with
HYPERCARD. A decision flow-
chart component of OASIS enables
you to evaluate whether or not
biorestoration is an appropriate
remediation technique for your
site. As part of OASIS, the
BIOPLUME II component builds
datasets through interactive
"painting" of information on the
computer screen. Another portion
of the OASIS system, BIOGRAPH,
allows the user to visualize the
size, growth and degradation over
time of the hydrocarbon plume.
BIOGRAPH can also produce
maps of the distribution of the head
of the plume as well as aquifer
oxygen concentration levels.
For more information on
BIOPLUME II and on OASIS and its
other components (hydrogeologic
and chemical databases,
bioremediation flowchart, the
DRASTIC system for evaluating
ground water pollution potential
and reference library of informa-
tion related to bioremediation), call
Joe Williams at FTS-743-2246 or
405-332-8800 at RSKERL in Ada.
Rethinking
from page 3
suspect. Frequently, lack of
redox equilibrium (often the
case at Superfund sites) or
contamination of the electrode
surfaces by trace oxide coatings
can yield erroneous readings.
The presence of trace oxide
coatings on the platinum
surface causes the electrode
system to respond like a new
type of pH measurement
device, rather than an indicator
of Eh. (A linear relationship
between measured pH and
apparent Eh is a pretty good
indication that the oxide coating
problem is present.)
In spite of the difficulties
associated with determining
redox conditions at Superfund
sites, the issue must not be
neglected because of the critical
importance of the redox state in
influencing metals transport.
The determination of Eh can
make the all-or-nothing
difference in mobility. Better
options for evaluating Eh
(described in more detail below)
involve direct measurement of
ion activity ratio, measurements
of dissolved oxygen, detection
of su If ides or a method involv-
ing iron solubility assumption.
Direct measurement of ion ratio
activity provides an estimate of
Eh—it determines the ratio of
different forms of the species of
the same metal as a way to
continued on page 6
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A Supplement to TECH TRENDS
December 1990
Quick Measurement and On-site Data Analysis of
Off-Gassing Air Emissions of Volatile Organics
By Donald F. Gurka
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas
If you want quick on-site data
on air emissions of volatile
organic compounds (VOC) that
are off-gassing from soil and
other sources at a site, you
want to know about open path
FT-IR (Fourier-transform
infrared) spectrometry. With
FT-IR you can reduce the
number of points in the site
where you need to collect
samples in cannisters for
laboratory analysis—and fewer
cannister sampling points also
translates into lower costs. FT-
IR rapidly scans the site above
ground over a path of up to
several hundred meters to
quickly narrow down those
points in the site from which
you will need to take specific
soil or other samples for further
analysis.
The open path FT-IR consists of
two devices on tripods. The
first device emits horizontal
beams of infrared radiation
across the path between the
two devices. VOCs that are
offgassing within the path
absorb energy from the beam.
This process enables the
second device to record any
VOCs in the path that have
concentrations at the low parts
per billion or higher level. The
second device then records the
average concentration of these
VOCs in the path over a set period
of time. Conversely, the cannister
sampling method collects gases
only at specific points. Another
important advantage of FT-IR is that
you can analyze the data on-site.
Within a few hours, the field
scientists can narrow down those
points in the site where you need to
collect samples for more extensive
laboratory analysis. The current
mobile instrument can be set up
quickly at a site by trained person-
nel and can function with minimum
operator intervention until the
system is moved to a new location
on the site.
EPA has two efforts focusing on
testing, evaluation and application
of FT-IR. Dr. Donald F. Gurka of
EPA's Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory at Las Vegas
(EMSL-LV), along with Region 7
personnel, formed a cooperative
agreement with researchers at
Kansas State University to investi-
gate the application of a prototype
open path FT-IR at Superfund sites.
For example, open path FT-IR was
successfully used at the Hastings
NPL Superfund site in Region 7.
Also, Dr. William McClenny of
EPA's Atmospheric Research and
Exposure Assessment Laboratory
(AREAL) at Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina, is working with a
commercially available FT-IR
system to demonstrate its
application at Superfund sites,
such as the Halby Chemical
site in Delaware and the
Shavers Farm site in Georgia.
Sieveral open path FT-IR
systems will be demonstrated
under the Monitoring and
Measurement Technologies
portion of the Superfund
Innovative Technology Evalua-
tion (SITE) Program in the
spring of 1991.
Early assessments of the
technology indicate that it is an
important tool for VOC
screening at hazardous waste
sites. Preliminary data with
about 25 common volatile
solvents show that FT-IR can
detect VOCs in the low parts
per billion range. The technol-
ogy promises to reduce the
labor and time involved in
traditional NPL site studies and
ir the monitoring of off-gassing
during site remediations.
For further information on
open path FT-IR, contact
either: (1) EMSL-LV's Technical
Support Center Manager, Ken
Brown, at FTS-545-2270, or
702-798-2270 or (2) AREAL's
Bill McClenny at FTS-629-
3158 or 919-541-3158.
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A Supplement to !•CH FHf If 05
December 1990
Chemical Warfare
from page 1
vehicle and taken directly to the
site. This rugged instrument is
equipped with built-in power
supply, is resistant to shocks
and is independent of cooling
and heating needs. It can
operate for six to eight hours on
built-in battery power.
You can choose from several
analysis modes and sample
introduction methods, based on
data quality objectives at your
site. Two of these modes,
"rapid screening* and "charac-
terization," were tested in the
SITE demonstration. The rapid
screening mode allows a quick
analysis for up to ten organic
compounds simultaneously.
Rethinking
from page 4
determine Eh. The ratio of Fe(II)
to Fe(IH) is a good example since
Fe is present in all soil and
ground water.
The determination of dissolved
oxygen (DO) is a relatively easy
measurement that is amenable to
field implementation. Care must
be taken to assure that oxygen is
not introduced during the
sampling process or it will
change the Eh.
If sutfides are detected, you can
safely assume that most pollutant
The more accurate characterization
mode follows a Contract Laboratory
Procedure-type protocol. The mass
spectrum generated by this instru-
ment is compared against known
compounds in the computer's
library providing you with an
instantaneous analysis of your
sample.
The desirability of field-portable
CC/MS instrumentation is obvious.
The MEM provides the Agency with
an instrument for field analysis with
no compromise in methodology.
The MEM affords the site manager
access to the same quality of data
as a conventional laboratory GC/
MS. Unanticipated field problems
can be quickly surmounted as the
CC/MS measures for the full range
of organic contaminants. Further,
decisions can be made at the site,
based on early results, to focus
subsequent sampling in areas of
metals of interest will be in their
reduced state, and hence have
reduced mobility. Dissolved phase
metal concentrations will also be very
low.
The iron solubility assumption
method for estimating Eh is a crude
but simple estimate to use if analyti-
cal or budget constraints prohibit
other approaches. This measurement
can yield a rough redox estimate in
systems of moderate to high pH.
A precise quantitative measure of Eh
may not always be necessary to make
a reasoned decision about the poten-
tial mobility of a particular metal at a
particular site. Often, a rough esti-
mate will suffice for making some
determinations about metals transport
greatest contamination. Thus,
fewer samples need to be sent
to the laboratory for analysis.
The MEM enhances risk
communication and manage-
ment by allowing field scien-
tists and decisionmakers to
compare field results to
historical databases with rapid
turnaround.
The MEM is commercially
available. Additionally, as
other mobile mass
spectrometery instruments
become available, EMSL-LV
will perform comparisons and
provide further information.
For more information, call
Stephen Billets at EMSL-LV at
FTS-545-2232 or 702-798-
2232.
from a particular site if used
skillfully and appropriately. The
options presented here allow you
to make such determinations.
The focus of this article has been
to introduce you to alternative
ways to estimate redox condi-
tions and ultimately the mobility
of metals. It is not intended to
give you an in-depth knowledge
of the methods or the limitations
of the methods. The EPA Athens
Environmental Research Labora-
tory can help you with further
information and in determining
which method is appropriate for
your site.
For further information, call
Dave Brown at AERL at FTS-250-
3310 or 404-546-3310.
-------
-------
-------
A^-fTF •
a 9 •
Out of the ATTIC
First Time User Hooked on ATTIC While Reseai^chinT
Thermal Incineration
by Bill Sproat, Alternative Treatment Technology Information Center
i Pollution Control Agency was coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a state lead
that enabled him to compile a reoort for the fnrn« that ^t^^A „ rY>- • Udu A1,11L- as
-------
Soil and Ground Wafer
(from page 2)
the land treatment unit, the soil is
routed through a derocking unit to
remove the large stones and debris
greater than one inch in diameter. The
derocking operation substantially
reduces the volume of soil materials
that are transferred to the final land
treatment unit.
Presently, a one-acre land
treatment unit has been constructed in
an uncontaminated area and lined with
a high density polyethylene liner and
compacted clay. To evaluate the .
performance of the unit, a leachate
collection system and leachate sump
were installed to monitor the chemical
composition of the leachate. The soil is
applied in six to eight inch increments.
Each increment is treated to cleanup
levels before additional soil is applied.
The moisture, nutrient and pH levels of
the soil are carefully maintained and
the soil is tilled and aerated—all to
enhance the biodegradation by the
indigenous microbes. At present, plans
are to expand the treatment unit to two-
acres in the spring of 1991.
The rocks that are removed from
the soil are also at the mercy of the
microbes. The rocks are placed over an
infiltration trench to be treated biologi-
cally. Water containing nutrients is
percolated over the rocks to encourage
microbial biodegradation of the contami-
nants. The water drains into the infiltra-
tion trench which, in turn, drains into the
aquifer.
Full-scale in situ bioremediation of
the ground water is close to implementa-
tion. To speed natural biodegradation hi
the ground water, oxygen and nutrients
will be introduced by means of injection
wells and infiltration trenches. In an
effort to prevent contaminated ground
water from migrating, extraction wells
will be installed downgradient to extract
ground water that will be treated above
ground using a combination of the more
innovative enhanced biodegradation
together with the more traditional fixed
film bioreactor treatment method. That is,
the ground water will first pass through
thermally enhanced fixed film bioreactors
which treat the organic contaminants.
The effluent from the bioreactors will then
be injected with nutrients to promote
biodegradation and reintroduced into the
aquifer.
For more information, call Julie
DalSoglio, the EPA Region VIH Remedi-
al Project Manager for this site, at FTS-
585-5415 or 406-449-5415. You can also
call Scott Ruling at FTS-743-2313 or
405-882-8800. Scott, along with Bert
Bledsoe at EPA's Robert S. Kerr Labora-
tory, has been providing technical support
for the site.
The Second
international
Symposium art Field
Screening Methods
for Hazardous •;-- .„,,..
Wastes and Toxtc Chemicals will be held
February 12-14,1991, at the Sahara Hotel
in Las Vegas, Nevada. The symposium
brings an international view to the charac-
ter feation and monitoring of hazardous
wastes and toxic chemicals.
The symposium is sponsored by the
U,S, Environmental Protection Agency? ,
U.S, Army Toxte and Hazardous Materials
Agency; && Army Chemical Research,
Development and Engineering Center; U.S,
Department of Energy; Florida State
University; National Environmental Tech-
nology Applications Corporation; and
National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, ,.*,.,,
For more information, contact linda
Hashtamoun at 2t 6464*3291.
UV Radiation/
Oxidation (from page 2)
with low levels of suspended solids, oils and
grease.
For more information, call Norma Lewis
at FTS-684-7665 or 513-569-7665. A Tech-
nology Evaluation Report and an Application
Analysis Report describing the complete
demonstration are available. To get on the
mailing list for the reports, call Dorothy
Williams at FTS-684-7369 or 513-569-7369.
Tech Trends welcomes readers' comments "W**^*^^
Address correspondence to: Managing Editor, Tech Trends COS-110),
u.S, environmental protection Agency, 401M Street, S.W.Washington. PC 20460.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
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