Simulation of a Ground Water Recirculation Well with a Dual-Column Laboratory Setup

• Published in: Ground water monitoring & remediation 2003-05, Vol.23 (2), p.102-110
• Main Authors: Lesage, Suzanne, Brown, Susan, Millar, Kelly, Steer, Helena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: carbon tetrachloride; tetrachloroethane; trichloroethylene
• ISSN: 1069-3629; 1745-6592
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6592.2003.tb00676.x

This paper describes a dual‐column laboratory setup consisting of a glass column and a stainless‐steel column filled with aquifer material. The setup was used to replicate a ground water recirculation well that serves as an in situ reactor and a combined injection/withdrawal well. The treatment solution consisted of a buffered titanium (III) citrate/vitamin B12 mixture. The first column, representing the well, was made of glass, allowing for visual inspection of the mixing. The stainless‐steel column was instrumented with redox (Eh) probes to monitor the changes in redox conditions. The redox measurement showed that, although the sand contained large quantities of iron oxides, the oxidation rate was relatively slow and the titanium solution would remain reduced for some time in the aquifer, continuing to react with the contaminants. This laboratory setup was used to optimize the reagent concentrations and rate of delivery for field implementation. It was found that 4 mM titanium citrate and 3 mg/L vitamin B12 were sufficient to degrade 1,1,2,2‐tetrachloroethane and carbon tetrachloride within one day, but not trichloroethylene, which required five days with 10 mM titanium citrate and 5 mg/L vitamin B12.