RESUMEN
Industrial activities lead to the contamination of large amounts of soils polluted by both inorganic and organic compounds, which are difficult to treat due to different chemical properties. The efficiency of a decontamination process developed to simultaneously remove mixed contamination of industrial soils was evaluated at the pilot-scale, as well as operating costs associated to that process to define the best remediation approach. The results showed that the treatment of the coarse fractions (>0.250 mm) of 40 kg of soil by attrition in countercurrent mode allowed the removal of 17-42% of As, 3-31% of Cr, 20-38% of Cu, and 64-75% of polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/F). Removals of 60% for As, 2.2% for Cr, 23% for Cu, and 74% for PCDD/F were obtained during the treatment of attrition sludge (<0.250 mm) by alkaline leaching process. However, the results of the techno-economic evaluation, carried out on a fixed plant with an annual treatment capacity of 7560 tons of soil treated (tst), showed that the estimated overall costs for the attrition process alone [scenario 1] (CAD$ 451/tst) were lower than the costs of the process, which additionally includes an alkaline leaching step to treat attrition sludge [scenario 2] (CAD$ 579/tst). This techno-economic evaluation also showed that the process becomes competitive with current disposal options (thermal desorption and landfilling - CAD$ 600/tst) from a certain treatment capacity, which is around of 3465 tst/yr for the scenario 1 and 6930 tst/yr for the scenario 2. On the other hand, the techno-economic evaluations are crucial to selecting feasible decontamination process for a soil remediation project, with considerations of the type of contamination, site characteristics and cost effectiveness.
Asunto(s)
Dioxinas , Furanos , Dibenzodioxinas Policloradas/análisis , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , SueloRESUMEN
Understanding the spatial distribution of organic and/or inorganic contaminants is crucial to facilitate decision-making of rehabilitation strategies in order to ensure the most appropriate management of contaminated sites in terms of contaminant removals efficiencies and operating costs. For these reasons, various interpolation methods [Thiessen Polygon (TP) method, inverse of distance (IDW) method, ordinary kriging (OK), as well as sequential Gaussian simulations (SGS)] were used to better understand the spatial distribution of As, Cr, Cu, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) found onto a specific industrial site. These methods do not only vary in complexity and efficiency but also lead to different results when using values coming from the same characterization campaign. Therefore, it is often necessary to evaluate their relevance by performing a comparative analysis. The results showed that ordinary kriging (OK) was a better estimator of the mean and more advanced compared to the two other methods of interpolation (TP and IDW). However, it appeared that SGS has the same power than OK but it also permitted to calculate a reliable value of the probabilities of exceeding regulatory cut-offs of contamination.
Asunto(s)
Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Distribución Normal , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Suelo/química , Análisis Espacial , Arsénico/análisis , Dioxinas/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/estadística & datos numéricos , Furanos/análisis , Metales Pesados/análisis , Pentaclorofenol/análisisRESUMEN
A nested workflow of multiple-point geostatistics (MPG) and sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) was tested on a study area of 6 km(2) located about 20 km northwest of Quebec City, Canada. In order to assess its geological and hydrogeological parameter heterogeneity and to provide tools to evaluate uncertainties in aquifer management, direct and indirect field measurements are used as inputs in the geostatistical simulations to reproduce large and small-scale heterogeneities. To do so, the lithological information is first associated to equivalent hydrogeological facies (hydrofacies) according to hydraulic properties measured at several wells. Then, heterogeneous hydrofacies (HF) realizations are generated using a prior geological model as training image (TI) with the MPG algorithm. The hydraulic conductivity (K) heterogeneity modeling within each HF is finally computed using SGS algorithm. Different K models are integrated in a finite-element hydrogeological model to calculate multiple transport simulations. Different scenarios exhibit variations in mass transport path and dispersion associated with the large- and small-scale heterogeneity respectively. Three-dimensional maps showing the probability of overpassing different thresholds are presented as examples of management tools.
Asunto(s)
Geología/métodos , Agua Subterránea , Modelos Teóricos , Movimientos del Agua , Algoritmos , Calibración , Simulación por Computador , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Quebec , Pozos de AguaRESUMEN
Numerical hydrogeological models should ideally be based on the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity (K), a property rarely defined on the basis of sufficient data due to the lack of efficient characterization methods. Electromagnetic borehole flowmeter measurements during pumping in uncased wells can effectively provide a continuous vertical distribution of K in consolidated rocks. However, relatively few studies have used the flowmeter in screened wells penetrating unconsolidated aquifers, and tests conducted in gravel-packed wells have shown that flowmeter data may yield misleading results. This paper describes the practical application of flowmeter profiles in direct-push wells to measure K and delineate hydrofacies in heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifers having low-to-moderate K (10(-6) to 10(-4) m/s). The effect of direct-push well installation on K measurements in unconsolidated deposits is first assessed based on the previous work indicating that such installations minimize disturbance to the aquifer fabric. The installation and development of long-screen wells are then used in a case study validating K profiles from flowmeter tests at high-resolution intervals (15 cm) with K profiles derived from multilevel slug tests between packers at identical intervals. For 119 intervals tested in five different wells, the difference in log K values obtained from the two methods is consistently below 10%. Finally, a graphical approach to the interpretation of flowmeter profiles is proposed to delineate intervals corresponding to distinct hydrofacies, thus providing a method whereby both the scale and magnitude of K contrasts in heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifers may be represented.