Natural attenuation of trichloroethene (TCE) and technetium (99Tc) was studied for five consecutive seasons (from January 2002 to January 2003) in Little Bayou Creek. The stream receives ground water discharge from an aquifer contaminated by past waste disposal activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), a uranium enrichment facility near Paducah, Kentucky. Results from stream gaging, contaminant monitoring, tracer tests (with bromide, nitrate, rhodamine WT and propane) and simulation modeling indicate the TCE is naturally attenuated by volatilization and dilution, with volatilization rates related to the ambient temperature and surface discharge rate. The only apparent mechanism of 99Tc attenuation is dilution. Travel times of non-gaseous tracers were found to be similar and have highest values in October and lowest in June. It was also estimated from modeling that the transport of the solutes in the stream was mostly one-dimensional with insignificant secondary storage.

Arsenic contamination has been a growing concern for many countries, especially Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, one of the most arsenic-contaminated regions is Chandpur. In this study, groundwater data were analyzed in order to create models to improve knowledge on groundwater flow dynamic in a specific area of Chandpur called Matlab. Observation have shown that groundwater flows from north to southeast. The southeast part of Matlab is faced with excessive pumping for irrigation which could explain in part the flow direction. In this study, no predictive model was created due to a lack of data, but the key knowledge gaps are presented. Soil analysis, aquifers identification and study about the interaction between the Meghna river and the shallow aquifers are highlighted as the most crucial studies to decrease the knowledge gaps. Climate change will likely result in drier summer, an increase in rainfall during monsoon and an increase in extreme events. This will lead to more challenging living conditions for the rural population already facing many challenges. Therefore, further studies for knowledge acquisition need to be conducted, and new sustainable measures must be taken to prevent catastrophic outcomes. / Arsenikkontaminering har varit ett växande bekymmer för många länder, särskilt Bangladesh. En av de mest arsenikförorenade regionerna i Bangladesh är Chandpur. I denna studie analyserades grundvattendata för att skapa modeller för att förbättra kunskapen om grundvattenflödesdynamiken i Matlab-regionen i Chandpur-distriktet i sydöstra Bangladesh. Observationer har visat att grundvatten rinner från norr till sydost. Den sydöstra delen av Matlab står inför överdriven pumpning för bevattning som delvis skulle kunna förklara flödesriktningen. I denna studie skapades ingen förutspående modell på grund av brist på data, men de viktigaste kunskapsluckorna presenteras. Jordanalys, identifiering av vattendrag och studier om samspelet mellan Meghna-floden och de grunda vattendragen framhävs som de mest avgörande studierna för att minska kunskapsluckorna. Klimatförändringar kommer sannolikt att resultera i torrare somrar, en ökning av nederbörd under monsunen och en ökning av extrema händelser. Detta kommer att leda till mer utmanande levnadsvillkor för landsbygdsbefolkningen, som redan står inför många utmaningar. Därför behöver ytterligare studier för kunskapsinhämtning genomföras, och nya hållbara åtgärder måste vidtas för att förhindra katastrofala utfall.

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The use of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) as (i) covers for arsenic-rich gold mine tailings and landfills, (ii) subsurface barrier for migration of hydrocarbons in the Arctic, and (iii) basal liner for sewage treatment lagoons were examined. After 4 years in field and laboratory experiments, it was found that best cover configuration above gold mine tailings might include a layer of GCL product with polymer-enhanced bentonite and a geofilm-coated carrier geotextile serving above the tailings under ≥ 0.7 m overburden. However, acceptable performance could be achieved with using a standard GCL with untreated bentonite provided that there is a minimum of 0.7 m of cover soil above the GCL. When GCL samples were exhumed from experimental landfill test cover with complete replacement of sodium in the bentonite with divalent cations in the adjacent soil, it was observed that the (i) hydraulic head across the GCLs, (ii) size of the needle-punched bundles, and (iii) structure of the bentonite can all significantly affect the value of the inferred in-situ hydraulic conductivity measured at the laboratory. The higher the hydraulic head and the larger the size of the needle-punched bundles, the higher the likelihood of internal erosion/structural change of bentonite at bundles that will cause a preferential flow for liquids to occur. A key practical implication was that GCLs can perform effectively as a single hydraulic barrier in covers provided that the water head above the GCL kept low. The hydraulic performance of a GCL in the Arctic was most affected by the location within the soil profile relative to the typical groundwater level with the highest increase in the hydraulic conductivity (by 1-4 orders of magnitude) for GCL below the water table. However, because the head required for jet fuel to pass through the GCL was higher than that present under field conditions, there was no evidence of jet fuel leakage through the barrier system. The leakage through GCLs below concrete lined sewage treatment lagoons was within acceptable limits, in large part, due to the low interface transmissivity between GCLs and the overlying poured concrete. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-02-28 08:53:29.171

Arsenic (As) contamination is a worldwide problem, and millions of people are suffering from it. There are two major inorganic forms of As in waters: arsenate(V) and arsenite(III), and adsorption to a sorbent material may be an efficient method to handle them. In this study, we focused on As(III), the more toxic form, which predominates under reducing conditions. The As(III) removal properties of four sorbent materials: hydrotalcite, Mg−Al layered double hydroxide, amorphous aluminium hydroxide and amorphous titanium oxide, are examined from the following viewpoints: As(III) adsorption, the effects of pH, the effects of adsorbent concentration, adsorption as a function of dissolved As(III), and the effect of co-existing anions (HCO3− and PO43−). The maximum adsorption of As(III) to HT (0.1 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent), Mg-Al LDH (0.1 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent), am-Al(OH)3 (0.22 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent), and am-TiO2 (0.21 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent) occurred at pH 7.5, 7, 7, 8, respectively. At this pH, approximately 20%, 62%, 35%, and 98.3%, respectively, of the added As(III) was adsorbed. When the As(III) to sorbent ratio was increased, the adsorption was instead around 7% to am-Al(OH)3 (2.2 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent), and 46.3% to am-TiO2 (2.1 mmol As(III)/g adsorbent). These figures show that am-TiO2is the most efficient sorbent for As(III) adsorption of the four materials tested, Mg-Al LDH is second best, while HT and am-Al(OH)3 are not suitable for As(III) removal. The adsorption of As(III) to Mg-Al LDH as a function of dissolved As(III) could be adequately described by a linear equation, suggesting that As(III) adsorption to Mg-Al LDH was governed by anion exchange. As a result, the co-existing anions (HCO3- and PO43-) showed a significant influence on As(III) adsorption to Mg-Al LDH. Considering the interfering effects of co-existing anions on am-TiO2, HCO3− did not influence As(III) adsorption, while PO43- caused a slight but clear competition effect. Overall, am-TiO2 would be the best choice of these four materials in contact with As-contaminated groundwater due to its superior As(III) removal properties and the limited competition from co-existing anions on As(III) adsorption. / Alltför höga halter av arsenik (As) i vatten är ett världsomspännande problem som orsakar hälsoproblem för miljontals människor. Det finns två huvudsakliga oorganiska former av As i vatten: arsenat(V) och arsenit(III), och adsorption till ett material (s.k. ”sorbent”) kan vara eneffektiv metod för att avlägsna dem från vatten. I denna studie fokuserade vi på arsenit(III), den mer giftiga formen, vilken dominerar under reducerande förhållanden. Vi undersökte adsorptionsegenskaperna för arsenit(III) för fyra sorbentmaterial som kan vara tänkbara när det gäller arsenikrening av förorenade vatten: hydrotalkit, s.k. Mg-Al LDH (Mg-Al-skiktad dubbelhydroxid), am-Al(OH)3 (amorf aluminiumhydroxid), och am-TiO2 (amorf titandioxid). Dessa material undersöktes när det gäller följande: adsorption av arsenit(III) som funktion av pH,betydelsen av sorbentkoncentration, adsorption som funktion av löst arsenit(III) (”isoterm”), och konkurrens från samexisterande anjoner (HCO3− och PO43−). Den maximala adsorptionen av As (III) till HT (0,1 mmol As(III)/g sorbent), Mg-Al LDH (0,1 mmol As(III)/g sorbent), am-Al(OH)3 (0,22 mmol As(III)/g sorbent) och am-TiO2(0,21 mmol As(III)/g sorbent) inträffade vid pH 7,5, 7, 7, respektive 8. Vid dessa pH-värden adsorberades ungefär 20%, 62%, 35% respektive 98,3% tillsatt As(III). När kvoten mellan As(III) till sorbent ökades blev adsorptionen istället cirka 7% till am-Al(OH)3 (2,2 mmol As(III)/g sorbent) och 46,3% till am-Ti02(2,1mmol As(III)/g sorbent). Dock var adsorptionsmängden per viktsenhetsorbenthögre över hela pH-området. Dessa siffror visar att am-TiO2 är det mest effektiva av de fyra testade materialen för As(III)-adsorption, Mg-Al LDH det näst bästa, medan HT och am-Al(OH)3 är olämpliga för detta ändamål. Adsorptionen av As(III) till Mg-Al LDH som funktion av löst As(III) kunde beskrivas väl med en linjär ekvation, vilket antyder att adsorptionen av As(III) till Mg-Al LDH styrdes av anjonbyte. I konsekvens med detta hade de samexisterande anjonerna (HCO3- och PO43-) ett betydande inflytande på As(III)-adsorptionen till Mg-Al LDH. För am-TiO2 påverkade HCO3− inte As(III)-adsorptionen, medan PO43- orsakade en liten men tydlig konkurrenseffekt. Sammantaget är am-TiO2 det bästa valet av dessa fyra material i kontakt med As- kontaminerat grundvatten på grund av dess betydligt bättre förmåga att avskilja arsenit(III) och den förhållandevis blygsamma konkurrensen från andra anjoner.