AREAS OF RESEARCH

In Situ Remediation Technologies for Contaminated Land

Overview of Site Remediation Research
During the 1970’s, the adverse health effects of environmental contamination from commercial, industrial, and government sites became front-page news as a result of discoveries at catastrophic sites such as Love Canal, Times Beach, and Valley of the Drums.  Since then ~500,000 sites with potential contamination have been reported and during the next 50 years or more, over $200 billion will be spent cleaning up contaminated land in the U.S.  The situation worldwide is no different.  To mitigate current or future risks, remediation approaches increasingly employ engineered in situ technologies as well as natural attenuation processes.  In situ remediation of the source of a soil vapor  or ground water plume is being accomplished using mass transfer and recovery methods (e.g., soil vapor extraction, air sparging, surfactant/cosolvent flushing) and in place destruction methods (e.g., bioremediation, oxidation and reduction), sometimes aided by enabling techniques (e.g., soil fracturing, soil heating).  For treatment of the distal regions of ground water plumes, natural biogeochemical attenuation and permeable reactive barriers are two strategies that are evolving. 

At CSM, Dr. Siegrist has been directing a major research program to develop and evaluate in situ treatment technologies. This research has encompassed treatment processes and methods of subsurface delivery to achieve cost-effective in situ remediation of toxic chemicals in soil and ground water.  A major focus area during the past five years has encompassed in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) where chemical oxidants (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate or ozone) are delivered into the subsurface by vertical or horizontal wells, sparge points, lance injectors, or hydraulic fracturing. Recent and ongoing efforts have been funded by the U.S. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, and private industry.  Research projects have involved laboratory bench- and pilot-scale experimentation, field studies, and modeling studies.  Research has addressed the 1) oxidation kinetics for destruction of organic chemicals, 2) oxidation effects on degradation kinetics of nonaqueous phase liquids, 3) oxidant mass transport processes and matrix effects in soil and ground water systems, 4) redox effects on mobility of redox sensitive and exchangeable metals, and 5) the coupling of ISCO with other remediation technologies (e.g., surfactant flushing or bioremediation).  Experimental, modeling and technical support has also been provided for field demonstrations at sites in Ohio, California, and Florida, and a reference book on the subject was published by Battelle Press in 2001.  Dr. Siegrist is lead author on a new book that will be published by Springer in 2010. 

Apart from the science and engineering of remediation technologies as just described, remediation of contaminated sites requires effective characterization and assessment to quantify the risks and determine the extent of cleanup required.  Recent and ongoing efforts have been funded by the U.S. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Project, U.S. EPA, and private industry.  Research has included laboratory and field experimentation combined with modeling during: 1) development and evaluation of soil and ground water sampling and analysis methods;  2) measurement and modeling of contaminant transport fluxes; and 3) analysis of measurement and modeling error and uncertainty.

Journal Publications Related to Site Remediation Research (past 5 years)

Tsitonaki, A., B. Petri, M. Crimi, H. Mosbaek, R.L. Siegrist, P.L. Bjerg. 2009. In Situ Chemical Oxidation of Contaminated Soil and Groundwater using Persulfate: A Review.  Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology.  Accepted and in press.

Oesterreich, R.C., R.L. Siegrist. 2009. Quantifying Volatile Organic Compounds in Porous Media: Effects of Sampling Method Attributes, Contaminant Characteristics and Environmental Conditions.  Environmental Science & Technology, 43(8):2891-2898.

Heiderscheidt, J., M.L. Crimi, R.L. Siegrist, M. Singletary. 2008. Optimization of Full-scale Permanganate ISCO System Operation: Laboratory and Numerical Studies. J. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, Fall 2008, 28(4):72-84.

Heiderscheidt, J., R.L. Siegrist, T.H. Illangasekare. 2008. Intermediate-Scale 2D Experimental Investigation of In Situ Chemical Oxidation using Potassium Permanganate for Remediation of Complex DNAPL Source Zones.  J. Contaminant Hydrology, 102(1-2):3-16.

Petri, B., R.L. Siegrist, M.L. Crimi (2008). Effects of Groundwater Velocity and Permanganate Concentration on DNAPL Mass Depletion Rates During In Situ Oxidation.  J. Environmental Engineering, 134(1):1-13.

Sahl, J.W., J. Munakata-Marr, M.L. Crimi, R.L. Siegrist. 2007.  Coupling Permanganate Oxidation with Microbial Dechlorination of Tetrachloroethene.  Water Environment Research, 79(1):5-12.

Siegrist, R.L., K.S. Lowe, M.L. Crimi, M.A. Urynowicz. 2006.  Quantifying PCE and TCE in DNAPL Source Zones:  Effects of Sampling Methods Used for Intact Cores at Varied Contaminant Levels and Media Temperatures.  J. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, 26(2):114–124.

Crimi M.L., R.L. Siegrist. 2005.  Factors Affecting Effectiveness and Efficiency of DNAPL Destruction Using Potassium Permanganate and Catalyzed Hydrogen Peroxide.  J. Environmental Engineering, 131(12):1716-1723.

Urynowicz, M.A., R.L. Siegrist. 2005.  Interphase Mass Transfer during Chemical Oxidation of TCE DNAPL in an Aqueous System.  J. Contaminant Hydrology, 80(3-4):93-106.

Ross, C., L.C. Murdoch, D.L. Freedman, R.L. Siegrist. 2005. Characteristics of Potassium Permanganate Encapsulated in Polymer. J. Environmental Engineering, 131(8):1203-1211.

Siegrist, R.L., J.E. McCray, K.S. Lowe. 2004. Wastewater Infiltration into Soil and the Effects of Infiltrative Surface Architecture.  Small Flows  J., 5(1):29-39.

Crimi, M.L., R.L. Siegrist. 2004. Association of Cadmium with MnO2 Particles Generated During Permanganate Oxidation. Water Research, 38(4):887-894.

Crimi, M.L., R.L. Siegrist. 2004.  Impact of Reaction Conditions on MnO2 Genesis During Permanganate Oxidation.  J. Environmental Engineering, 130(5):562-572.