Coupled Hydrogeochemical Approach and Sustainable Technologies for the Remediation of a Chlorinated Solvent Plume in an Urban Area

Paolo Ciampi (), Carlo Esposito, Ernst Bartsch, Eduard J. Alesi, Christian Nielsen, Laura Ledda, Laura Lorini and Marco Petrangeli Papini
Additional contact information
Paolo Ciampi: Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Carlo Esposito: Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Ernst Bartsch: IEG Technologie GmbH, Hohlbachweg 2, D-73344 Gruibingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Eduard J. Alesi: IEG Technologie GmbH, Hohlbachweg 2, D-73344 Gruibingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Christian Nielsen: TAUW Italia, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 7, 20133 Milano, Italy
Laura Ledda: TAUW Italia, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 7, 20133 Milano, Italy
Laura Lorini: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Marco Petrangeli Papini: CERI Research Center, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-20

Abstract: The presence of chlorinated solvents polluting groundwater in urbanized areas poses a significant environmental issue. This paper details a thoughtful approach to remediate a tetrachloroethylene (PCE) plume in a district that is characterized by a complex hydrological context with a limited accessibility. Through a geodatabase-driven and coupled hydrogeochemical approach, two distinct remediation technologies were chosen for the management of a contaminant plume. On one hand, coaxial groundwater circulation (CGC) wells coupled with air sparging (AS) aspire to promote the in-situ transfer of PCE from the contaminated matrices into a gaseous stream that is then treated above ground. On the other hand, reagent injection has the goal of enhancing chemical reduction combined with in situ adsorption, creating contaminant adsorbent zones, and stimulating dechlorinating biological activity. The development of an integrated conceptual site model (CSM) harmonizing geological, hydrochemical, and membrane interface probe (MIP) data captures site-specific hydrogeochemical peculiarities to support decision-making. The hydrochemical monitoring reveals contamination dynamics and decontamination mechanisms in response to treatment, quantifying the performance of the adopted strategies and investigating possible rebound effects. The estimation of masses extracted by the CGC-AS system validates the effectiveness of a new and sustainable technique to abate chlorinated solvents in groundwater.

Keywords: hydrogeochemical modeling; coaxial groundwater circulation; biological reductive dechlorination; chlorinated solvent remediation; membrane interface probe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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