A stable isotope approach for source apportionment of chlorinated ethene plumes at a complex multi-contamination events urban site

Nijenhuis, Ivonne; Schmidt, Marie; Pellegatti, Eleonora; Paramatti, Enrico; Richnow, Hans H.; Gargini, Alessandro

doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2013.06.004

Cited by 39 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Markedly negative Eh (likely over-depressed by the contamination itself), low dissolved oxygen values and high methane concentration in groundwater samples suggest the occurrence of methanogenic conditions along the whole system. This geochemical condition is the most favorable for reductive dechlorination (Stroo and Ward 2010) and was previously observed at the same field site (Nijenhuis et al 2013). δ 13 C of parent compounds into the swamp facies is relatively enriched with respect to other sections of the profile, whereas in the SW facies daughters show δ 13 C as depleted as parents of other facies (Fig.…”

Section: Contaminant Degradation and Vc Accumulationsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…7), in comparison to those values expected for common chlorinated solvents (−37‰ < δ 13 C < −23‰) (Hunkeler et al 2005;Sherwood Lollar et al 2000;Shouakar-Stash et al 2003), are related to the characteristics of the primary source of contamination, described by Nijenhuis et al (2013). The δ 13 C was analyzed on sediment samples corresponding to the main peaks of contaminant concentration along the MC4-5 profile, where peak concentrations of daughter compounds occur into the swamp facies and peak concentrations of parents occur into facies other than swamp.…”

Section: Compound Specific Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 78%

“…2). Additional information about the regional and local flow system is reported by Nijenhuis et al (2013) and Filippini et al (2016). DOI: 10.7343/as-2017-305 The issue of chlorinated solvents in Ferrara…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vinyl Chloride (VC) dominates the composition of the contaminant plumes (Gargini et al 2011). The origin of the plumes is related to local sources directly or indirectly linked with industrial activities (Nijenhuis et al 2013). Highly chlorinated compounds were spilled in the environment as industrial wastes, while VC must represent a product of dechlorination of former compounds.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Migration of chlorinated hydrocarbons in multilayer unconsolidated porous media: a case study from the Po Plain, Italy

Filippini

2017

AS-ITJGW

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parole chiave: solventi clorurati, vulnerabilità intrinseca, integrità degli acquitardi, declorurazione riduttiva, sistemi multilivello. Keywords: chlorinated solvents, intrinsic vulnerability, aquitard integrity, reductive dechlorination, multilevel systems.Riassunto: I solventi clorurati sono i contaminanti organici più ubiquitari nelle acque sotterranee da sei decadi a questa parte. A causa del loro elevato grado di tossicità/cancerogenicità e della loro mobilità relativamente elevata e persistenza negli acquiferi, questi contaminanti rappresentano una seria minaccia nei confronti della salute umana e dell'ambiente. I solventi clorurati raggiungono generalmente le falde sotto forma di Dense NonAqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL), una fase in grado di migrare attraverso acquiferi ed acquitardi in modo molto più rapido e pervasivo rispetto ai contaminanti in fase disciolta. La complessa partizione multifase a cui possono essere sottoposti i solventi clorurati (dalla fase DNAPL a quella disciolta, gassosa o adsorbita), così come la loro trasformazione (es. degradazione), dipendono dalle proprietà fisico-chimiche dei composti stessi ma anche dalle caratteristiche del sistema idrogeologico in cui si trovano a migrare. Nell'ambito del presente lavoro, è stato investigato il sistema idrogeologico al di sotto della città di Ferrara (Pianura Padana), il quale è interessato da contaminazione da solventi clorurati in numerosi siti. In particolare, è stato selezionato un sito pilota, conosciuto come "Sito Caretti", in cui è stato applicato un approccio investigativo ad alta risoluzione e limitato nello spazio. In tale sito sono state raccolte molteplici informazioni ad alta risoluzione spaziale lungo profili verticali (dati stratigrafici, carichi idraulici, composizione idrochimica dell'acqua, isotopi stabili dell'acqua e di contaminanti), attraverso l'utilizzo di sistemi multilivello ed altre tecniche innovative di campionamento ed analisi. Gli obiettivi principali della ricerca erano quelli di stimare la vulnerabilità intrinseca degli acquiferi e di ricostruire le dinamiche di migrazione e trasformazione dei contaminanti clorurati in relazione alle caratteristiche del mezzo poroso ospitante. Gli acquiferi confinati sono risultati essere maggiormente vulnerabili ai contaminanti in fase DNAPL rispetto a contaminanti in fase acquosa, a causa della presenza di microfratture nei soprastanti acqutardi argillosi. Inoltre, la presenza di livelli ad alto contenuto di materia organica nella stratigrafia locale ha aumentato il potenziale biodegradativo del sistema nei confronti degli eteni clorurati, causando accumuli di Cloruro di Vinile. I risultati ottenuti sono utili non solo alla scala locale, es. per interpretare l'origine della contaminazione in altri siti sul territorio ferrarese, ma anche alla scala globale, al fine di indirizzare future azioni di protezione e bonifica in simili contesti idrogeologici.

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Section: Contaminant Degradation and Vc Accumulationsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Compound Specific Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Migration of chlorinated hydrocarbons in multilayer unconsolidated porous media: a case study from the Po Plain, Italy

Filippini

2017

AS-ITJGW

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“…The application of new approaches for the correct identification of the polluter is necessary particularly in the presence of potential multiple sources/polluters, and especially at mega-sites such as industrial areas or petrochemical plants [4]. Also known as "source identification", "fingerprinting", or "source apportionment" (SA hereafter), this approach is also important for site-restoration applications [5][6][7][8][9]. Frequently after remediation actions (e.g., plume or source containment by physical or hydraulic barriers (HBs)), a downgradient contamination can still be detected [10], and often it is crucial to understand the reasons for the ongoing contamination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) Application for Source Apportionment and Natural Attenuation Assessment of Chlorinated Benzenes

Alberti

Marchesi

Trefiletti

et al. 2017

Water

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Abstract:In light of the complex management of chlorobenzene (CB) contaminated sites, at which a hydraulic barrier (HB) for plumes containment is emplaced, compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has been applied for source apportionment, for investigating the relation between the upgradient and downgradient of the HB, and to target potential CB biodegradation processes. The isotope signature of all the components potentially involved in the degradation processes has been expressed using the concentration-weighted average δ 13 C of CBs + benzene (δ 13 C sum ). Upgradient of the HB, the average δ 13 C sum of −25.6‰ and −29.4‰ were measured for plumes within the eastern and western sectors, respectively. Similar values were observed for the potential sources, with δ 13 C sum values of −26.5‰ for contaminated soils and −29.8‰ for the processing water pipeline in the eastern and western sectors, respectively, allowing for apportioning of these potential sources to the respective contaminant plumes. For the downgradient of the HB, similar CB concentrations but enriched δ 13 C sum values between −24.5‰ and −25.9‰ were measured. Moreover, contaminated soils showed a similar δ 13 C sum signature of −24.5‰, thus suggesting that the plumes likely originate from past activities located in the downgradient of the HB. Within the industrial property, significant δ 13 C enrichments were measured for 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB), 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB), 1,3-DCB, and 1,4-DCBs, thus suggesting an important role for anaerobic biodegradation. Further degradation of monochlorobenzene (MCB) and benzene was also demonstrated. CSIA was confirmed to be an effective approach for site characterization, revealing the proper functioning of the HB and demonstrating the important role of natural attenuation processes in reducing the contamination upgradient of the HB.

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Bioremediation via in situ Microbial Degradation of Organic Pollutants

Vogt

Richnow

2013

Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology

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Contamination of soil and natural waters by organic pollutants is a global problem. The major organic pollutants of point sources are mineral oil, fuel components, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Research from the last two decades discovered that most of these compounds are biodegradable under anoxic conditions. This has led to the rise of bioremediation strategies based on the in situ biodegradation of pollutants. Monitored natural attenuation is a concept by which a contaminated site is remediated by natural biodegradation; to evaluate such processes, a combination of chemical and microbiological methods are usually used. Compound specific stable isotope analysis emerged as a key method for detecting and quantifying in situ biodegradation. Natural attenuation processes can be initiated or accelerated by manipulating the environmental conditions to become favorable for indigenous pollutant degrading microbial communities or by adding externally breeded specific pollutant degrading microorganisms; these techniques are referred to as enhanced natural attenuation. Xenobiotic micropollutants, such as pesticides or pharmaceuticals, contaminate diffusively large areas in low concentrations; the biodegradation pattern of such contaminations are not yet understood.

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A stable isotope approach for source apportionment of chlorinated ethene plumes at a complex multi-contamination events urban site

Cited by 39 publications

References 23 publications

Migration of chlorinated hydrocarbons in multilayer unconsolidated porous media: a case study from the Po Plain, Italy

Migration of chlorinated hydrocarbons in multilayer unconsolidated porous media: a case study from the Po Plain, Italy

Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) Application for Source Apportionment and Natural Attenuation Assessment of Chlorinated Benzenes

Bioremediation via in situ Microbial Degradation of Organic Pollutants

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