United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA542-N-01-003
September 2001
Issue No. 42
CONTENTS
NATO/CCMS Pilot
Project for Innovative
Cleanup Technologies pagel
Steam Injection Used in
Unsaturated Zone at
German Landfill page 2
Phytoextraction
Demonstration in Poland
for Lead Removal page 4
ITRC Updates page 4
International Efforts to
Clean Up the
Great Lakes page 5
The Applied Technologies
Newsletter for Superfund
Removals & Remedial
Actions & RCRA Corrective
Action
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
This issue highlights joint
international efforts to
demonstrate and evaluate the
performance of innovative
technologies for remediating sites
with contaminated soil.
NATO/CCMS Pilot
Project for Innovative
Cleanup Technologies
by Stephen C. James, U.S. EPA/
Office of Research &
Development/National Risk
Management Research
Laboratory
In 1985, North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation (NATO) partners initiated a pilot
study to identify, discuss, and review
innovative, emerging, and alternative
technologies, and to transfer technical
performance and economic information
to potential users in the civilian and
military sectors. This pilot study, known
as the Evaluation of Demonstrated
and Emerging Remedial Action
Technologies for the Treatment of
Contaminated Land and Groundwa-
ter, is now in its third phase of evaluation
under NATO's Committee on the
Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS).
The pilot study has established two
international focus areas for risk
management and contaminated land.
Information exchange is facilitated by
the CCMS pilot study andNATO
through specific networks such as the:
• European Commission, DGXI
(waste) and DG XII
(environmental) Programs
• Common Forum on Contaminated
Land in the European Union
• NICOLE (Network for
Industrially Contaminated Land in
Europe)
• CARACAS (Concerted Action
on Risk Assessment in
Contaminated Sites in the
European Union)
• CLARINET (Contaminated Land
Rehabilitation Network)
• Ad Hoc Work Group on
Contaminated Land, and
• European Environment Agency
(topic center for soil).
The United States serves as the lead
organizing nation for the pilot study, with
assistance from Germany and the
Netherlands and participation from 22
additional countries and the European
Union. Through annual meetings, over
70 delegates present yearly updates on
legislative and regulatory issues, as well
as technology research, development,
and demonstrations associated with
contaminated land cleanup in each
country. The pilot study addresses six
general types of cleanup technologies:
biological, physical-chemical, chemical,
thermal, stabilization/solidification, and
other cleanup activities such as site
characterization.
This year's CCMS pilot study meeting,
which will focus on validation of in situ
remediation performance, will be held
September 10-15 in Liege, Belgium.
The U S. will provide updates on three
models:
• Interagency DNAPL
Consortium Side-by-Side
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Technology Demonstrations at
Cape Canaveral, FL: ground-
water cleanup demonstrations of
chemical oxidation with potassium
permanganate, in situ thermal
remediation with six phase heating,
and in situ thermal remediation
with steam and co-air [see July
2001 Ground Water Currents
(www. clu-in. org)]
• Bioremediation of Pesticides:
full-scale demonstration of
composting techniques for soil at
the Stauffer Management
Company site in Tampa, FL [see
August 2000 Tech Trends
(www.clu-in.org)], and
• Surfactant-Enhanced Aquifer
Remediation (SEAR): field
validation of SEAR technology for
remediating dense non-aqueous
phase liquids at Camp Lejeune,
NC, and evaluation of the potential
for surfactant recycling [see
upcoming issue of Ground Water
Currents}
The United States also will present four
additional newproj ects to the pilot study:
• Phytoremediation Evaluation for
Petroleum Hydrocarbons in
Surface Soils
• Field-Scale Performance Data
for Alternative Final Landfill
Covers
• Slurry Injection for Zero-Valent
Iron into Chlorinated Solvents
Groundwater Plume, and
• Combined Chemical Oxidation -
Natural Attenuation Approach
for Chlorinated Solvents
Contaminated Groundwater.
For each meeting, the U. S. EPA and
NATO publish an annual report and a
special session report. These reports are
available on the Internet from EPA
(wwwclu-in.org/partnerl.cfm) andfrom
NATO (www.nato.int/ccms), and on a
CD-ROM (EPA542-C-01-002, in
limited supply) from the National Service
Center for Environmental Publications
(800-490-9198,513-489-8190, orhttp://
www.epa.gov/ncepihom/).
The following meeting will be held in
Rome, Italy, during 2002. For more
information, contact the U. S. pilot study
directors Stephen C. James (U.S. EPA/
National Risk Management Research
Laboratory) at 513-569-7877 or e-mail
james.steve@epa.gov, or Dr. WalterW.
Kovalick, Jr., (U.S. EPA/Technology
Innovation Office) at 703-603-9910 or e-
mail kovalick.walter@epagov
Steam Injection Used
in Unsaturated Zone
at German Landfill
byH.-P. Koschitzky, Ph.D., and
T. Theurer, University of
Stuttgart
A thermally enhanced remediation
scheme currently operates at a former
hazardous waste disposal site near the
City of Muehlacker, Germany, to remove
chlorinated solvents. Conventional soil
vapor extraction (SVE) was used initially
to remove contaminants from the
unsaturated zone, and a hydraulic pump
and treat (P&T) system was used to
remediate ground water. Finding SVE to
be ineffective in the unsaturated soil
zone, a pilot-scale proj ect was initiated in
1999 to employ steam inj ection in the
highly contaminated area 7-15 meters
below ground surface (bgs). With
proj ected completion of the proj ect at the
end of this year, approximately 2.5 tons
of chlorinated hydrocarbons already
have been removed from the 3,000
cubic-meter target area.
This project serves as aNATO/CCMS
pilot proj ect for Germany. It also serves
as a pilot site in the State of Baden-
Wuerttember EPA (Landesanstalt fuer
Umweltschutz, LfU) site cleanup
program, "Modellvorhaben," which is
funded through the State's "Kommunaler
Altlastenfonds." Technical oversight is
provided by the Research Facility for
Subsurface Remediation, VEGAS, at the
University of Stuttgart in Germany.
In the late 1960s, the disposal site
opened in a forest near Muhlacker to
receive local industrial waste. Although
waste was deposited within a layer of
silty loam considered to be impermeable
enough to protect the subsurface from
leachate contamination, by the late 1970s
contaminants had migrated through the
highly heterogeneous, weathered sandy
marl in the unsaturated zone. Contami-
nants were identified in the underlying
Keuper gypsum aquifer located 3 0
meters bgs, suggesting that separate-
phase contaminants (primarily
trichloroethylene [TCE]) have not been
retained by a capillary barrier intersect-
ing the unsaturated zone at a depth of 15
meters bgs.
Remedial design for the entire site was
completed in 1996. Implementation of
the remediation plans began with
encapsulating the contaminated area in
sheet piles and constructing an asphalt
cover to reduce leachate flux to the
atmosphere. SVE and P&T applications
then were employed to address the
unsaturated-zone soil and ground-water
contamination. Detailed evaluation of
SVE technology had indicated that the
low soil permeability in this region served
as a limiting factor for "cold" SVE. As
[continued on page 3]
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[continued from page 2]
a result, alternative technologies were
considered and thermally enhanced SVE
by steam inj ection was selected in 1998
to address the unsaturated zone
contaminants.
A 20-meter diameter, egg-shaped testing
area was constructed at the site for pilot-
scale demonstration of the steam
inj ection process. The testing area
comprises one central inj ection well
surrounded by six extraction wells that
can be used simultaneously for vapor
and liquid extraction. All wells reach a
depth of 15 meters bgs and are screened
from 7 to 15 meters bgs in the unsatur-
ated zone. Ten monitoring lances with a
total of 100 temperature sensors posi-
tioned at 0.7-meter increments measure
subsurface temperatures through the soil
horizon. Using a gas-fired 100 kW
generator, steam is inj ected at a rate of
up to 100 kg/hour and a pressure of up
to 2.5 bars.
The high-pressure steam front advances
from the central inj ection well through
the ground (Figure 1). Evaporated
water and contaminant accumulate
ahead of the steam front and are driven
to the extraction wells to be recovered in
the gas or separate-fluid phase. Gases
are extracted from the system and
passed through a condenser, from which
condensate flows into liquid separators
where the non-aqueous phase contami-
nant is separated from the water. Gases
that are not condensable flow through a
catalytic combustion unit before venting
to the atmosphere. Liquids are removed
from the extraction system using surge
pumps and then passed through a cooler
to a separator where the non-aqueous
phase material is separated from the
water.
After ten months of steam injection,
nearly complete heating of the target
zone has been achieved. Of the 2,5 00
kilograms of TCE removed, approxi-
mately 95 percent was extracted in the
gaseous phase and the remaining part as
solute in water from the capillary barrier.
Researchers found that the common
problem of heat front buoyancy resulting
from subsurface capillary water could be
overcome. The use of steam with low
water content was important to avoid
Figure 1: Steam Injection Process at the Miihlacker Landfill
Depth
displacement of the heat front. It also
was found that conductive heat transport
during breaks in the steam inj ection
significantly warmed soil regions with
lowtemperature, while convectiveheat
transport brought energy to the steam
front. Weak temperature gradients
resulting from a slow heating process did
appear to avoid excessive saturation of
the soil, thereby avoiding mobilization of
the TCE.
Despite the lowpermeability of the
subsurface, steam inj ection was found to
be successful at this site. The final
cooling process that was begun in March
2001 is expected to conclude in October,
at which time the final proj ect perfor-
mance and costs will be documented.
Extrapolated estimates indicate a cost of
approximately $175/kg of removed
chlorinated hydrocarbon through use of
steam inj ection, compared to an esti-
mated cost of $250/kg for cold SVE
(assuming SVE would be able to
remove the same amount of contami-
nant). Additionally, employment of
steam inj ection has been estimated to
achieve an 8.5-year time savings over
the use of SVE.
Research will continue at the University
of Stuttgart to test the use of thermal
treatment involving higher temperatures
to remove contaminants with higher
boiling points. Researchers also will
examine the potential of a combined
parallel treatment involving steam
inj ection and alcohol flooding for the
unsaturated/saturated zones and ground
water. For more information, contact
Dr. Hans-Peter Koschitzky (University
of Stuttgart) at 49/711 -685-4716 or e-
mail hans-peter.koschitzky@
iws.uni-stuttgart.de.
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Phytoextraction
Demonstration in
Poland for Lead
Removal
by Mike Kuperberg, Florida
State University, Rafal
Kucharski, Institute for Ecology
of Industrial Areas in Poland,
and Skip Chamberlain, U.S.
Department of Energy
The Institute for International Coopera-
tive Environmental Research at Florida
State University, U. S. Department of
Energy, and Institute for Ecology of
Industrial Areas from Poland have
collaborated in afield demonstration of
phytoremediation for lead-contaminated
soil. The primary goals of this consor-
tium, which was initiated in 1995, are to
identify technologies for large-scale
removal of contaminants in soil and
ground water at industrial sites through-
out Poland, and to evaluate the cost and
performance of appropriate technolo-
gies.
Analysis of costs incurred during a one-
year phytoextraction demonstration
indicated that as much as 70 percent of
the total costs for this technology are
associated with soil amendment. It is
estimated that improved techniques for
applying soil amendments may result in
an overall cost savings of up to 3 5
percent. Improved techniques involve a
more precise application of the chemi-
cals to the soil, and a computerized
application of amendments in correlation
with lead concentrations identified in the
soil.
Located in the Upper Silesian Region of
Poland, the demonstration site contains
large areas of soil contaminated with
high concentrations of lead (600 mg/kg),
cadmium (3 0 mg/kg) and zinc (2,400 mg/
kg) as a result of nearby smelting
operations. The phytoextraction experi-
ment took place on a one-hectare target
area, beginning in the Spring of 1998.
Primary steps of the technology deploy-
ment included site characterization, plant
species selection, planting and growing
of plants for several months, amendment
distribution, harvesting, and finally crop
disposal and volume reduction through
composting techniques. Two crops of
Indian mustard (Brassicajuned) were
cultivated and harvested over a period of
one year. Soil was amended with
ethylene diamine tetracetic acid
(EDTA), as needed.
Analysis of lead concentrations before
and after the first growing season
indicates a significant reduction for total
lead in soil. Lead contamination patterns
[continued on page 5]
ITRC Updates
Upcoming Conference
The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Cooperation (ITRC) is a state-led organization working to overcome regulatory barriers to the
deployment of innovative environmental technologies. The 2001 ITRC Fall Conference will be held November 5-6 inLong Beach, CA, at
the Westin Long Beach. This conference will provide opportunities for environmental technology networking, technology exhibits, and
training on topics such as permeable reactive barriers, chemical oxidation, and phytotechnologies. On the following two days, ITRC
Work Team members will meet to discuss specific technology topics. Public and private sector professionals are encouraged to register
for the conference before October 10 at the ITRC Web site, www.itrcweb.org.
New Guidance Documents
Three guidance documents were released recently by ITRC work groups to assist regulators, environmental consultants, and other
stakeholders in addressing issues surrounding specific remediation technologies:
Phytotechnology Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document (PHYTO-2) describes various aspects of phytotechnology applica-
tions, including regulatory considerations, current research, case studies, and work plan components.
Technical and Regulatory Guidance for In Situ Chemical Oxidation of Contaminated Soil and Groundwater (ISCO-1) addresses the
technical and regulatory issues impacting the use of chemical oxidants to destroy and/or convert contaminants into innocuous com-
pounds.
User's Guide for Polyethylene-Based Diffusion Bag Samplers to Obtain Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations in Wells (DSP-1)
was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the ITRC, U.S. Air Force, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, U.S.
EPA, and other agencies to provide methods for employing passive diffusion bag (PDB) samplers, approaches for determining PDB
sampler applicability, and factors influencing data interpretation.
With the addition of these documents, more than 30 guidance documents on innovative environmental technologies now are available
on-line at www.itrcweb.oig.
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Figure 2: Effect of the One-Year Phytoremediation Experiment
Total Soil Lead
Seal if
[continued from page 4]
over the deployment area during these
times are illustrated in Figure 2.
Full-scale use of phytoextraction for lead
in soil is now in use at this site as well as
several other industrial sites in Poland.
Currently, the consortium is conducting a
series of investigations concerning the
potential for phyto-remediation to
address mercury contamination through-
out the country. Preliminary results
showthe potential of a combined
stabilization technique using plants and
chemical amendments (especially sulfur
and zeolites) to stabilize mercury in
contaminated soils. For additional
information, contact MkeKuperberg
(Florida State University/Institute for
International Cooperative Environmental
Research) at 850-644-5516 or e-mail
mkupe@mailer. fsu. edu.
International Efforts
to Clean Up the Great
Lakes
by David Cow gill, U.S. EPA/
Great Lakes National Program
Office
As part of the International Joint Com-
mission (IJC) of the U. S. and Canada,
the Great Lakes Water Quality Board
sponsors several activities to facilitate
government progress in controlling and
managing persistent toxic substances in
water, soil, and sediments of the Great
Lakes Basin. The characterization and
remediation of contaminated sediment,
which is found in all 42 areas of concern
recognized by the IJC, continues to
present particular challenges. Agencies
in both nations have been working
together with the IJC to identify innova-
tive techniques for determining the
volumes of sediment
that require cleanup,
understanding the
extent of short- and
long-term ecological
harm posed by
contaminated
sediment, and
predicting potential
changes in contami-
nantbioavailability
From 1995 through
1999, the IJC's
Sediment Priority
Action Committee
(SedPAC) exam-
ined the reasons for
the slow progress in
addressing the
contaminated
sediment problem in
the Great Lakes. A
maj or component of
this examination
was the review of
benefits from remedial actions previously
taken in the Collingwood Harbor
(Ontario), Waukegan Harbor, (Illinois),
and Black River (Ohio) areas. Although
significant volumes of contaminated
sediment were removed from these and
other areas through the use of innovative
and conventional dredging methods, in
general, it was found that insufficient
information on the ecological effective-
ness of sediment cleanup had been
collected. SedPAC consequently studied
and advised the IJC on filling these
information gaps and overcoming
obstacles to sediment remediation.
The EPA's Great Lakes National
Program Office (GLNPO) coordinates
U. S. activities in the Great Lakes with
the IJC and Environment Canada. In
this capacity, the GLNPO manages
[continued on page 6]
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Tech Trends is on the NET!
View, download, subscribe, or
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Tech Trends welcomes readers' comments and
contributions. Address correspondence to:
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Technology Innovation Office (5102G)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 703-603-7198
Fax:703-603-7195
[continued from page 5]
several broad-based initiatives (including
the Great Lakes Contaminated Sedi-
ments Program) to provide field,
financial, and technical support in the
Great Lakes Basin. Efforts are made
under the Contaminated Sediments
Program to apply lessons learned
previously through the Assessment and
Remediation of Contaminated Sediments
(ARCS) Program (1987-1993), which
was Congressionally mandated to study
and demonstrate methods for addressing
contaminated bottom sediments in the
Great Lakes. Subsequent ARCS
reports, such as the ARCS'Assessment
Guidance Document (EPA-905-B94-
002), ARCSRemediation Guidance
Document (EPA-905-B94-003), and
Risk Assessment and Modeling
Overview Document (EPA-905-R93-
007), have been developed to provide
technical assistance to those involved in
contaminated sediment cleanup projects.
Currently, the GLNPO is working with
the U.S. interagency Remediation
Technologies Development Forum's
SedimentRemediationActionTeamto
coordinate the technical aspects of a
potential remedial technology demon-
stration proj ect in Duluth Harbor, MN.
This proj ect would involve an in situ
electrochemical technology that
requires minimal equipment and
processing, compared with alternative
technologies. In addition, the
GLNPO will awardatotalof $3.15
million during this fiscal year for
innovative proj ects that advance the
protection and cleanup of the Great
Lakes ecosystem, including priority
topics such as contaminated sedi-
ments, environmental indicators, and
strategic or emerging issues.
SedPAC reports, ARCS guidance,
and other Great Lakes regional
updates and technical documents are
available on the Web from the
GLNPO (www.epa.gov/glnpo) or the
LJC's Great Lakes Water Quality
Board (www.ijc.org/boards/wqb).
Additional information on the
GLNPO Contaminated Sediments
Program is available from Dr. Marc
Tuchman (U.S. EPA/Region 5) at
312-353-1369 or e-mail
tuchman.marc@epa.gov
Mention of trade or commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
United States
TECH TRENDS
Environmental Protection Agency
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Cincinnati, OH 45242
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EPA542-N-01-003
September 2001
Issue No. 42
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