In SITU Treatment of Chlorinated Ethene-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells

The limitations of conventional containment technologies for groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents have motivated development of innovative technologies to achieve national groundwater remediation objectives. One innovative technology that is currently under development involves metal reductants or catalysts to chemically destroy the dissolved chlorinated solvent. Models are important tools that can be used to help transition this technology to the field. Model studies can be used to gain understanding about the technology, help determine when the prospective technology might work for a given site, and design full-scale field applications. In this study, the literature is reviewed to determine which metal reductants/catalysts might be appropriate for in-well use in a proposed Horizontal Flow Treatment Well (HFTW) system. The HFTW system involves use of two or more dual-screened wells to capture and treat chlorinated solvent contaminated groundwater without the need to pump contaminated water to the ground surface. A model is then presented which couples a chemical degradation submodel, simulating destruction of chlorinated ethenes in an in-well metal reactor, with the steady-state flow field imposed by the HFTWs.