Evaluating Future Trend: Lessons from Battelle Presented at the EcoForum Conference & Exhibition, October 31, 2014, Gold Coast, QLD (Australia) By Russell Sirabian, PE, PMP (Battelle Memorial Institute) 1 Russell Sirabian, PE, PMP Battelle Memorial Institute • Program Manager with Battelle Memorial Institute, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio (USA) • 30 years of environmental consulting experience, mostly involving remediation of contaminated properties • Focused on developing methods of optimizing site cleanup in the most sustainable manner • Leader in shaping Battelle’s international remediation conferences 2 Battelle Memorial Institute • Non-profit charitable trust founded in 1929 • Applying science and technology to real-world problems • Largest private, independent research and development organization in the world • Generates over $6 billion annually in global R&D • Oversees over 22,000 employees in 130 locations worldwide 20 International Locations 3 A History of Innovation Inspiring new industries; revolutionizing products Verity – stress analysis wins international engineering award Fiber optics (PIRI) venture formed Universal Product Code, cut-resistant golf ball, sandwich coins developed Xerox office copier enters the market New ventures launched in medical, pharmaceutical, electronics and software Compact disk and cruise control technology Battelle opens for business Battelle founded by the Will of Gordon Battelle Wins contract to manage PNNL Develops fuel for Nautilus – first nuclear powered submarine Industrial discoveries made in Metal and Material Sciences 4 What Matters Most Tomorrow Inspiring new industries; revolutionizing products Alternative energy technologies Next generation diagnostics & therapeutics Underwater technology Carbon management Medical devices Security Tomorrow’s Solutions 5 Examples of Battelle Internally Funded Environmental Remediation R&D Projects • Historical Examples – Bioremediation – Thermal (six phase) heating – Multi-phase extraction • Recent Examples – – – – SiteWiseTM Green and Sustainable Remediation Tool Renewable Energy Evaluation Tool Advances in Biogeochemical Degradation Emerging contaminant treatment • 1,4-Dioxane • PFCs November 11, 2014 Lessons Learned Future Trends 7 Lessons Learned 8 Do not treat without sufficient site characterization COC source/release information Mass distribution, concentration, fate, transport and natural attenuation capacity Unacceptable risk for human and ecological receptors for current and future land use Geologic and hydrologic/ hydrogeologic characteristics Technology-specific treatability parameters Contamination Source and Release Information Vadose Zone Saturated Zone Low Permeability Layer Risk Assessment Disposal Area Surface Water Groundwater LNAPL Contaminant Plume Groundwater Flow Contaminant Distribution, Geologic and Hydrologic Transport, and Fate Parameters Information Example of COC Mass Distribution Estimate Estimate of TCE Mass in Shallow Groundwater Area Type Area, sqft Soil Vol. CY TCE Mass, pounds Adsorbed Dissolved Total % of Total Area 726 6% % of Total TCE Mass Source Zone Residual DNAPL 1,471 Dissolved Source 2,061 654 715 11 93% 15% 916 35 2 98% 37 9% 5% 2% Dissolved Plume 100-1,000 µg/L 6,886 3,060 12 1 12 30% 5-100 µg/L 12,827 5,701 2 0 2 55% 85% 0% Total Total 23,245 10,331 764 13 777 100% 100% 2% Common CSM Short-Comings • CSM not updated • Source area/release not well defined or addressed • Plume not fully delineated – Rebound due to back diffusion – Lack of attenuation capacity in the aquifer – Target treatment zones not identified Key Points 1) Deficiencies in CSM are key contributors to failed remedies. 2) Remedy should not be implemented without adequate CSM. Example: Resolution of CSM Based on Remedies Evaluated • • Remedy is pump/treat of groundwater TCE plume (hydraulic control) Evaluation of source zone treatment requires greater CSM resolution – Identified zone of soil contaminant above water table during pumping – If not known/accounted for, this source may not get treated by remedy Note: A, B and C refer to different hydrogeological units NAD27 Northing (feet) 652,450 NAPL Area 3a Area 3b 652,400 Area 3c Boring locations for NAPL determination with cumulative NAPL thickness (ft) (RI sonic borings only) 652,350 CSM required high level of resolution prior to treatment with electrical resistance heating 652,500 Example of Failed Remedy: Thermal Treatment Upper Vashon wells Lower Vashon wells NAPL thickness contour 1,496,300 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS SEATTLE DISTRICT 1,496,350 1,496,400 NAD27 Easting (feet) NAPL Area 3 2002 RI Net NAPL Thickness Fort Lewis Washington – Irregular heating and insufficient temperatures PW-3section ‐10 ‐30 ‐40 ‐50 PW-1 Qvs 0 ‐20 E PW-2 PW-4 +10 Feet above water table – Velocity varied from 0.05 to 15 feet per day S Qvs Qvo Qvo Qvt Qvt Qvo Qvo ng Qvt Steilacoom Gravels (Qvs) Vashon Drift • High permeability zones created heat sink due to high groundwater flow Bend in Example of Failed Remedy: Thermal Treatment (cont.) 50' Glacial till (Qvt) TCE (ppb) Mixed/interbedded till and outwash Glacial outwash (Qvo) Pre‐Vashon, non‐glacial deposits (ng) • Upgradient source caused rebound post treatment Vertical Exaggeration = 4X 0 100' 200' Don’t Start Unless you Know When to Stop – Removed 10,000 pounds – Removal rate dropped to 1 pound per month • Regulators required continued operation • Required exit strategy upfront PCE Removal via Volatilization 10000 PCE Removal (lbs) • Great removal of mass initially • Reached diminishing returns 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Oct Dec Feb Apr Jul Aug Oct Dec Feb Apr Jul 98 98 99 99 99 99 99 99 00 00 00 Monthly Cumulative 15 Just when you think you have it under control… • Emerging issues can cause problems • Example – TCE migration control and well head treatment are successful: remedy is protective – Water authority was required to analyze for 1,4 dioxane, PFOA and PFOS – PFOA and PFOS are found about provisional heath standards – EPA requiring vapor intrusion to be assessed 16 Work with regulators and community • Understanding community concerns upfront can expedite approval process • Saves time and money 17 Future Trends 18 More Use of Tools for Refining the Conceptual Site Model (High Resolution) • Vertical Profiling – Hydraulic Profiling • Waterloo APS™ – Membrane Interface Probe (MIP™) – Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) – FLUTe™ • Geophysics – Electrical Resistivity – Ground Penetrating Radar 19 Tools for Refining the Conceptual Site Model (cont.) • Consider data needs consistent with potential remediation technologies – Geochemical parameters – Advanced molecular diagnostic tools • Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) • Stable Isotope Probing (SIP) • Microbial fingerprinting – Soil oxidant demand and natural oxidant demand – Bench-scale or pilot studies 20 Use of Solute Transport Models for Remedy Evaluation and Design • Estimate COC migration – Concentration at compliance point over time • Evaluate benefit of partial mass removal or containment – Impact on timeframe – Impact on COC migration • Estimate remedial time frame – Is time frame reasonable – Time needed to estimate remedy cost Examples of Predictive Models • Examples of predictive groundwater modeling tools on USEPA Web site REMChlor • Analytical solution for simulating the transient effects of groundwater source and plume remediation http://www.epa.gov/ada/csmos/models/remchlor.html BIOCHLOR • Screening model simulates natural attenuation of dissolved VOCs http://www.epa.gov/ada/csmos/models/biochlor.html BIOSCREEN • Screening model simulates natural attenuation of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons http://www.epa.gov/ada/csmos/models/bioscrn.html REMFuel • Analytical solution for simulating the transient effects of groundwater source and plume remediation for hydrocarbons http://www.epa.gov/ada/csmos/models/remfuel.html Examples of Other Modeling Tools MT3D • 3D solute transport model for simulation of advection, dispersion, and chemical reactions of dissolved constituents in groundwater systems. The model uses a modular structure similar to that implemented in MODFLOW. The Matrix Diffusion Toolkit • Easy-to-use, comprehensive, free software tool used to effectively and efficiently estimate what effects matrix diffusion will have at their site, and transfer the results to stakeholders. It primarily uses square root model, dandysale model for evaluating matrix diffusion effects http://www.gsi-net.com/en/software/free-software/matrixdiffusion-toolkit.html Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) • Provides an integrated computational environment for simulating subsurface flow, contaminant fate/transport, and the efficacy and design of remediation systems. Several types of models are supported by GMS. The current version of GMS provides a complete interface for the codes ADH, FEMWATER, MODAEM, MODFLOW, MODPATH, MT3D, RT3D, SEAM 3D, SEEP2D, UTEXAS, and WASH123D. Strategic Planning of Remedy Implementation with Exit Strategies Example: Cleanup of Gasoline Spill at Fuel Terminal using Treatment Trains with Transition and Exit Strategies Phase Phase I: Soil vapor extraction (SVE)only Exit Strategies Trigger to transition to Phase II linked to when catalytic oxidizer requires supplemental fuel • Control air flow to allow catalytic oxidizer to be self-sustaining Phase II: Pulsed Air Sparging/SVE for aggressive removal of smear zone • Trigger to Phase III linked to risk from benzene in shallow soil vapor Phase III: Biosparge designed to maintain elevated dissolved oxygen (DO) levels with no SVE • Low operating cost • Trigger to Phase IV linked to fate and transport modeling Phase IV: MNA Site Closeout Early Engagement of Stakeholders • Engage community to understand concerns • Build trust in early stages of project • Achieve buy-in for strategic site management approaches • Set stage for sustainable remediation 25 QUESTIONS? 26