Vertical Distribution and Partitioning of Chromium in a Glaciof luvial Aquifer

Abstract

AbstractThe vertical distribution and partitioning (between the solid and aqueous phase) of chromium in a glaciofluvial aquifer in northeastern Connecticut were assessed. Most of the chromium (99 percent of its mass) is bound to the soil. Retardation is primarily the result of binding to organic matter and adsorption to iron oxide coatings. However, other attenuation mechanisms also appear to be significant. If the degree of chromium binding observed here is representative of other chromium contaminated sites, pump‐and‐treat remediation will not remove the vast amount of chromium from the subsurface. However, most of the chromium may be immobile, and removal may not be required following the initial pumping to remove the mobile fraction. Further knowledge of the mechanisms that bind chromium to the soil, their reversibility, and their kinetics is essential to developing effective remediation strategies.