Design of a Surfactant Remediation Field Demonstration Based on Laboratory and Modeling Studies

Abstract

Abstract Surfactant‐enhanced subsurface remediation is being evaluated as an innovative technology for expediting ground‐water remediation. This paper reports on laboratory and modeling studies conducted in preparation for a pilot‐scale field test of surfactant‐enhanced subsurface remediation. Laboratory batch and column studies evaluated the surfactant‐contaminant ground‐water interactions in an effort to properly design the field‐scale demonstration. A series of laboratory tracer tests and numerical simulations were completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the hydraulic system (a vertical circulation well—VCW) for capturing injected solutions in a shallow, highly conductive, unconfined ground‐water formation. The results of these studies were then used to optimize the performance of the VCW system during the subsequent field‐scale demonstration study which utilized the VCW for injecting and extracting a surfactant solution. Information from the simulation studies, combined with the results of the batch and column tests, was crucial for procuring regulatory approval for the field demonstration, and successful design of the field‐scale demonstration.