&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research and Development (481)
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5102G)
EPA/542/F-99/029
November 1999
Permeable Reactive Barriers
Action Team
BTDF
Meumediaficm Technologies
CurrentRTDF
Action Teams
Bioremediation Consortium
Team !l
ermeable Reactive
Phytoremediation of
Qrganics Action Team
Sediments Remediatioii ; ?
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 sec-
tors 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 collaborative field studies.
The 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-permanent, or replace-
able 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 bioremedi tion, or other agents.
Degradation barriers facilitate reactions that break down contaminants in the
plume into harmless byproducts. Precipitation barriers react with contaminants to
form insoluble products that remain in the barrier as ground water continues to
flow through. Sorption barriers adsorb or chelate contaminants.
The Action Team's Mission
The mission of the Permeable Reactive Barriers Action Team is to accelerate the
development of cost-effective permeable barrier technologies. The Action Team
undertakes development and evaluation efforts needed to achieve public and regu-
latory acceptance of this technology. The efforts focus on:
• Defining the hydraulics, geochemistry, and reactions that occur in the
media and aquifers
• Demonstrating and validating the technology's effectiveness
• Developing protocols, guidance, and issue papers on design and effective
implementation
• Documenting effective emplacement techniques and configurations
(engineering design and constructability)
• Conducting an economic analysis of treatment cost
Accomplishments
Action Team members assisted with the design of the U.S. Air Force study, enti-
tled "Catalytic In Situ Treatment of Chlorinated Solvents," and field work for the
pilot-scale demonstration at the Area 5 site, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. The
Action Team also is actively involved in research and technology evaluation activ-
ities at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) site near Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
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The Action Team, in cooperation with EPA's Office of Research and
Development, published "Permeable Reactive Barrier Technologies for
Contaminant Remediation" in 1998. The document provides the most recent
information on permeable reactive barrier (PRB) technologies. The document is
available on the Team's home page on the RTDF World Wide Web site.
Conceptual ConGguration of Permeable Barrier System
RTDF
Permeable Reactive
Barrier
Treated
Ground Water
Also in 1998, the Action Team prepared a status report on the use of permeable
reactive barriers (PRBs) for ground-water remediation in the United States,
Canada, and selected locations abroad. The report, available on the Team's home
page on the RTDF Web site, includes profiles of about 30 ongoing and completed
pilot- and full-scale PRB demonstrations and full-scale installations and a search-
able bibliography of PRB-related articles and publications.
The Action Team's Plans
The Action Team, in partnership with the Interstate Technology Regulatory
Cooperation (ITRC) Permeable Barriers Working Group, has developed a training
course and manual to assist regulatory professionals in overseeing the design,
implementation, and monitoring of ground-water remedies that involve the
deployment of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). The course will be offered in
each EPA Region in 1999 and 2000.
The Action Team's Steering Committee has launched a coordinated research
effort focusing on the long-term performance of PRB's (i.e. how long will they
work), the major issue restricting further acceptance and deployment of this tech-
nology. The project will involve use of common techniques and monitoring
approaches at selected PRB sites, collection and sharing of comparable data
about PRB performance at each site over time, and development of peer-reviewed
final reports on project milestones.
Action Team Members
The Action Team includes representatives from industry, government, and acade-
mic organizations, such as the following:
Industry
DuPont Company
EnviroMcial Technologies
EnviroSources
General Electric
Ckornaiax
In Situ Burners
MtcMurcus Resources
n Government
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Geological Survey
Academia
University of Waterloo
Would You
Like
Moire Information?
For more information on the Permeable
Reactive Barriers Action Team, please
contact the Team Co-chairs:
Bob Puls, Ph.D.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
P.O. 1198
Ada, OK 74820
Tel: 580-436-8543
Email: puls.robert@epa.gov
John Vidumsky
Superfund Program Manager
DuPont Specialty Chemicals
Jarley Mill Plaza 27/2226
: Lancaster Pike and Route 141
Tel: 3024$>2-1378
FB*- Bun* irtfarmatiofl oft &E HHB? or other,
Action Teams, please visit the RTDF World
Wide Web site 3<: ywByrtdf.org or contact:
"US. Environmental Proteetidti .Agtncy
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 05268
' E-niailt olexsey.bob@epiimail.epa.gov
* Walter Kovalick, Jr., Ph.D.
U,S, Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (51026)
Washington, DC 24060
Tjsfc
To request other RTDIf fact sheets, please
write/call:
,,, , , EPA/NSCEP
RO, Box 42419
, -' aaclana^ OH 45243
Phone;
djipied on Recycled Paper
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