vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research and Development (481)
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5102G)
EPA542-F-97-012C
November 1997
Permeable Reactive Barriers
Team
RTDF
Remediation Technologies
Development Forum
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Phytoremediation of
Organics Action Team
What Is the Permeable Reactive
Barriers Action Team?
The Permeable Reactive Barriers Action Team was established in March
1995 as one of the seven Action Teams under the Remediation Technologies
Development Forum (RTDF). The RTDF was created by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (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, to identify and promote the funding of priority research needs to
advance the acceptance of the technology, and to develop plans for collab-
orative field studies.
What Is the Action Team's Mission?
The mission of the Permeable Reactive Barriers Action Team is to acceler-
ate the development of cost-effective permeable barrier technologies for mit-
igating chlorinated solvents, metals, radionuclides, and other pollutants in
ground water. The Action Team will undertake the development and evalua-
tion efforts needed to achieve public and regulatory acceptance of this tech-
nology. The efforts focus on:
>• Defining the hydraulics, geochemistry, and reactions that occur in the
media and aquifers
*- Demonstrations that validate the technology's effectiveness
>- Protocols, guidance, and issue papers for design and effective imple-
mentation
>• Effective emplacement techniques and configurations (engineering
design and constructability)
>- Economic analysis of treatment cost
>• Public/regulatory acceptance of the technology
What Is a Permeable Reactive Barrier?
A permeable reactive barrier is a passive in situ treatment zone of reactive
material that degrades or immobilizes contaminants as ground water flows
through it. Permeable treatment walls are installed as permanent, semi-perma-
nent, 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 solvents, 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 ground water
continues to flow through. Sorption barriers adsorb or chelate contaminants.
Conceptual Configuration of Permeable Barrier System
Permeable Reactive
Barrier
Treated
Ground Water
What Activities Are Planned?
Many Permeable Reactive Barriers Action Team members play active roles
in research, development, technology transfer, and technical assistance for
field sites throughout the world. The Air Force has asked the Action Team
to participate in a study entitled "Catalytic In Situ Treatment of Chlorinated
Solvents," to be conducted at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. 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). Several members of the Action Team are
assisting with the design of this study, and field work is expected to begin
in 1997. The Action Team also is becoming increasingly involved in
research and technology evaluation activities at the U.S. Coast Guard site
near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. This research site, originally devel-
oped by researchers from EPA's National Risk Management Research
Laboratory (NRMRL), is now being utilized by other groups within the
Action Team to evaluate long-term performance monitoring issues associ-
ated with permeable reactive barriers.
Who Are the Action Team Members?
JUm,
Battelle Memorial Institute
Cercona
Clean Sites
Dow
DuPont
EMCON
EnviroMctal Technologies
General Electric
Gcomntrix
1CI Americas
Monsanto
Zcncca
nU.S. Air Force
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering
Command
New Mexico Tech
University of Waterloo
State University of New York at
Buffalo
RTDF
Remediation Technologies
Development Forum
Would You
Like
More Information?
For more information on the Permeable
Reactive Barriers Action Team, please
contact:
Bob Puls, Ph.D.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management Research
Laboratory
P.O. 1198
Ada, OK 74820
Tel: 405-436-8543
E-mail: puls@ad3100.ada.epa.gov
Industry Co-Chair to be named
For information on the RTDF or other
Action Teams, please visit the RTDF World
Wide Web site at www.rtdf.org or contact:
Robert Olexsey
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Tel: 513-569-7861
E-mail: olexsey.bob@epamail.epa.gov
Walter W. Kovalick, Jr., Ph.D.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (5102G)
Washington, DC 20460
Tel: 703-603-9910
E-mail: kovalick.walter@epamail.epa.gov
To request other RTDF fact sheets, please
write/fax to:
EPA/NCEPI
11305 Reed Hartman Highway, Suite 219
Cincinnati, OH 45241
Fax: 513-489-8695
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