An analytical quantification of mass fluxes and natural attenuation rate constants at a former gasworks site

Abstract

A new integral groundwater investigation approach was used for the first time to quantify natural attenuation rates at field scale. In this approach, pumping wells positioned along two control planes were operated at distances of 140 and 280 m downstream of a contaminant source zone at a former gasworks site polluted with BTEX- (benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, o-, p-xylene) and PAH- (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) compounds. Based on the quantified changes in total contaminant mass fluxes between the control planes, first-order natural attenuation rate constants could be estimated. For BTEX-compounds, these ranged from 1.4e−02 to 1.3e−01 day −1, whereas for PAH-compounds natural attenuation rate constants of 3.7e−04 to 3.1e−02 day −1 were observed. Microbial degradation activity at the site was indicated by an increase in dissolved iron mass flux and a reduction in sulphate mass flux between the two investigated control planes. In addition to information about total contaminant mass fluxes and average concentrations, an analysis of the concentration–time series measured at the control planes also allowed to semi-quantitatively delineate the aquifer regions most likely contaminated by the BTEX- and PAH-compounds.