United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research and Development (481)
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5102G)
EPA542-F-96-010C
September 1996
xvEPA Permeable Barriers Action Team
RTDF
RTDF Action
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Permeable Barriers Actic
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What is the Permeable Barriers Action
Team?
The Permeable Barriers Action Team was established in March 1995, as one
of the five Action Teams under the Remediation Technologies Development
Forum (RTDF). The RTDF was created by EPA in 1992 to foster
collaboration between the public and private sectors in finding innovative
solutions to mutual hazardous waste problems. The Action Team has met to
discuss ongoing research, to identify development needs not currently being
addressed, and to develop plans for two collaborative field studies. To
facilitate the experimental design and performance development for the field
studies, two work groups have been formed within the Permeable Barriers
Action Team. One group is addressing the use of permeable barriers to
remediate chlorinated solvents, and the other is focusing on the treatment of
inorganics and low-level radioactive wastes.
What is the Action Team9s Mission?
The mission of the Permeable Barriers Action Team is to accelerate the
development of cost-effective permeable barrier technologies for mitigating
chlorinated solvents, metals, radionuclides, and other pollutants in
groundwater. The Action Team will undertake the development and
evaluation efforts needed to achieve public and regulatory acceptance of this
technology. The efforts focus on:
Defining of the hydraulics, geo-
chemistry, and reactions that
occur in the media and aquifers.
Demonstrations that validate the
technology's effectiveness.
Protocols for design and imple-
mentation.
Effective emplacement techniques
and configurations (engineering
design and constructability).
Economic analysis of treatment
cost.
Public/regulatory acceptance of
the technology.
What 15 a Permeable Barrier?
A permeable barrier is a passive in-situ treatment zone of reactive material
that degrades or immobilizes contaminants as groundwater flows through it.
Permeable treatment walls are installed as permanent, semi-permanent, or
replaceable units across the flow path of a contaminant plume. Natural
gradients transport contaminants through strategically placed treatment
media. The media degrade, sorb, precipitate, or remove chlorinated sol-
vents, metals, radionuclides, and other pollutants. These barriers may
contain reactants for degrading volatile organics, chelators for immobilizing
metals, nutrients and oxygen for microorganisms to enhance bioremediation,
or other agents.
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Degradation barriers facilitate reactions that break down contaminants in the
plume into harmless byproducts. Precipitation barriers react with contami-
nants to form insoluble products that remain in the barrier as groundwater
continues to flow through. Sorption barriers adsorb or chelate contaminants.
Conceptual Configuration of Permeable Barrier System
Permeable Reactive
Barrier
KTDF
Memediatloit 'Ifecl3.nologi.es
Development fbrum
What Activities are Planned?
The Air Force has asked the Action Team to participate in a study entitled
Catalytic In-Sitit Treatment of Chlorinated Solvents, to be conducted at Dover
Air Force Base (AFB), DE. This study is being coordinated by the Air Force's
Armstrong Laboratory under the Department of Defense's Strategic
Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). The
Organics WorkGroup of the Permeable Barriers Action Team is assisting with
the design of this SERDP-funded study. Field work is proposed to be initiated
at Dover AFB in 1997. The Inorganics Work Group is in the process of
assessing potential sites for evaluating the effectiveness of permeable barrier
technology in treating mixed contaminants.
Who are the Action Team Members?
ILrtfi
Battelle Memorial
Institute
Cercona
Clean Sites
Dow
DuPont
EMCON
EnviroMetal Technologies
General Electric
Geomatrix
ICI Americas
Monsanto
Zeneca
To request other RTDF factsheets, please
write/fax to:
EPA/NCEPI
11305 Reed Hartman Highway, Suite 219
Cincinnati, OH 45241
lax: (513)489-8695
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
U.S. DOE Idaho National
Engineering Laboratory
U.S. DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory
U.S. DOE Pacific Northwest Laboratory
U.S. DOE Sandia National Laboratory
U.S. DOE Savannah River Laboratory
U.S. EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory
U.S. EPA National Risk Management Research
Laboratory
U.S. EPA Technology Innovation Office
U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering
Command
New Mexico Tech
University of
Waterloo
Would You like
More
Information?
For more information on the Permeable
Barriers Action Team, please contact:
'$$*jj*?\ Bob Puls, Ph.D. ^ % • '
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ">
•:•::;,' National Risk Management
::-!jl• jpResearch Laboratory
P.O. 1198 ;, V /
Ada, OK 74820 ," , '
Tel: (405) 436-8543'
Email: puls@ad3100oida.epa.gov
Dale Schultz, PhJX
DuPont Company
Glasgow Site, Building 300
Newark, DM 1{014
Tel: C302)|I|P9871
Email: schultds@al.esyjax.umc.dupont.com
For information on the RTDF or the other
Action Teams | please contact:
RobertOlexscy
VS. Environmental Protection Agency
Tel: (513) 569-7861
Email: olexscy.bob@epamail.epa.gov
Walter Koralick, Jr., Ph.D.
VS. Environmental Protection Agency
Teir(7j»3) 603-9910
Email: kovalicCvralter@eiiamail.epa.gov
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