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 OTDF^ction Lasagna™JPartnership . X / i Bibremediation Consortium" IINERT Soil-Metals Action Team "" """" ~ "~ ^" ' Sediments Remediation Action Team - -- - - |M Situ Flushing Action £ ' 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. ------- 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 Copied on Recycled Paper ------- |