{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/9794"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/9794","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Assessing Various Technologies to Remediate a Hydrocarbon Contaminated Aquifer","abstract":"Releases of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) to groundwater systems are a serious and widespread problem throughout the United States. Research was conducted to determine if numerical groundwater flow and transport models could evaluate the effectiveness of alternative remedial strategies to reduce dissolved hydrocarbon contamination in aquifers, and therefore serve as tools to aid environmental managers in the remedial decision making process. A fuel distribution terminal in the Eastern United States was selected as the test site. A release of diesel and jet fuels from the terminal loading rack area contaminated the unconfined aquifer beneath the terminal and migrated off-site, impacting commercial and residential areas. In the analyses, groundwater flow and transport models were calibrated to site data. The calibrated models were applied to simulate four remedial options: (1) natural attenuation, (2) groundwater extraction, (3) groundwater flushing, and (4) microbial fences. Results of the predictive simulations indicated that the groundwater flushing remedial option provided the greatest reduction of benzene and TEX mass from the NAPL source as well as the lowest concentrations of benzene and TEX in the aquifer. The calibrated numerical models were able to predict the effectiveness of various remedial options and provide a basis for comparison. The modeling in conjunction with other factors, such as cost, were utilized to facilitate the decision making process.","abstract_html":"Releases of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) to groundwater systems are a serious and widespread problem throughout the United States. Research was conducted to determine if numerical groundwater flow and transport models could evaluate the effectiveness of alternative remedial strategies to reduce dissolved hydrocarbon contamination in aquifers, and therefore serve as tools to aid environmental managers in the remedial decision making process. A fuel distribution terminal in the Eastern United States was selected as the test site. A release of diesel and jet fuels from the terminal loading rack area contaminated the unconfined aquifer beneath the terminal and migrated off-site, impacting commercial and residential areas. In the analyses, groundwater flow and transport models were calibrated to site data. The calibrated models were applied to simulate four remedial options: (1) natural attenuation, (2) groundwater extraction, (3) groundwater flushing, and (4) microbial fences. Results of the predictive simulations indicated that the groundwater flushing remedial option provided the greatest reduction of benzene and TEX mass from the NAPL source as well as the lowest concentrations of benzene and TEX in the aquifer. The calibrated numerical models were able to predict the effectiveness of various remedial options and provide a basis for comparison. The modeling in conjunction with other factors, such as cost, were utilized to facilitate the decision making process.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Parcher, Mary Ann"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Environmental Sciences and Engineering","degree_department":"Environmental Sciences and Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Gallagher, Daniel L."],"committee_members":["Widdowson, Mark A.","Johnson, Jeffrey A."],"year":1999,"date_issued":"1999-01-13","date_published":"1999-01-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:03Z","subjects":["Modeling","remedial technologies","hydrocarbon","Groundwater"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-080399-124254"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-080399-124254","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9794","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Gallagher, Daniel L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Widdowson, Mark A.","Johnson, Jeffrey A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Environmental Sciences and Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Parcher, Mary Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2011-08-06T14:50:19Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-08-06T14:50:19Z","2000-08-14"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1999-01-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Environmental Sciences and Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Modeling","remedial technologies","hydrocarbon","Groundwater"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-080399-124254"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9794"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Releases of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) to groundwater systems are a serious and widespread problem throughout the United States. 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Results of the predictive simulations indicated that the groundwater flushing remedial option provided the greatest reduction of benzene and TEX mass from the NAPL source as well as the lowest concentrations of benzene and TEX in the aquifer. The calibrated numerical models were able to predict the effectiveness of various remedial options and provide a basis for comparison. 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