Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Pool Dissolution as a Function of Average Pore Water Velocity

Abstract

Bench-scale reactor experiments were performed to study the dissolution of a binary naphthalene-in-nonane mixture nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) pool over a wide range of average pore water velocities, ν\dx(≈0.1–60 m/day). Experimental NAPL pool dissolution flux values were determined using a steady-state mass balance approach. The experimental flux data were compared to model predictions made assuming either local equilibrium or mass-transfer limited conditions. The local equilibrium model could describe the trends in the average effluent concentration and dissolution flux with 0.1 10 m/day. Data determined to be under mass-transfer limited conditions were fit to the nonequilibrium model to estimate values for an overall mass-transfer coefficient. The calculated overall mass-transfer coefficients had an average value of 0.407 m/day and showed no correlation with ν\dx, probably due to mass-transfer resistance becoming dominated by the diffusional resistance in the NAPL. These results suggest that the nonequilibrium approach is better suited for describing high velocity (ν\dx>10 m/day) dissolution of multicomponent NAPL pools, and that flushing of groundwater at very high velocities may not be an effective approach for enhancing NAPL-pool dissolution flux.