Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Remediation Research Articles

Polymer-Modified Fe0 Nanoparticles Target Entrapped NAPL in Two Dimensional Porous Media: Effect of Particle Concentration, NAPL Saturation, and Injection Strategy

Polymer-modified nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) particles are delivered into porous media for in situ remediation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zones. A systematic and quantitative evaluation of NAPL targeting by polymer-modified NZVI in two-dimensional (2-D) porous media under field-relevant conditions has not been reported. This work evaluated the importance of NZVI particle concentration, NAPL saturation, and injection strategy on the ability of polymer-modified NZVI (MRNIP2) to target the NAPL/water interface in situ in a 2-D porous media model. Dodecane was used as a NAPL model compound for this first demonstration of source zone targeting in 2-D. A driving force for NAPL targeting, the surface activity of MRNIP2 at the NAPL/water interface was verified ex situ by its ability to emulsify NAPL in water. MRNIP2 at low particle concentration (0.5 g/L) did not accumulate in or near entrapped NAPL, however, MRNIP2 at moderate and high particle concentrations (3 and 15 g/L) did accumulate preferentially at entrapped NAPL, i.e., it was capable of in situ targeting. The amount of MRNIP2 that targets a NAPL source depends on NAPL saturation (S(n)), presumably because the saturation controls the available NAPL/water interfacial area and the flow field through the NAPL source. At effective S(n) close or equal to 100%, MRNIP2 bypassed NAPL and accumulated only at the periphery of the entrapped NAPL region. At lower S(n), flow also carries MRNIP2 to NAPL/water interfaces internal to the entrapped NAPL region. However, the mass of accumulated MRNIP2 per unit available NAPL/water interfacial area is relatively constant (∼0.8 g/m(2) for MRNIP2 = 3 g/L) from S(n) = 13 to ∼100%, suggesting that NAPL targeting is mostly controlled by MRNIP2 sorption onto the NAPL/water interface.

Self-Sustaining Smoldering Combustion for NAPL Remediation: Laboratory Evaluation of Process Sensitivity to Key Parameters

Smoldering combustion has been introduced recently as a potential remediation strategy for soil contaminated by nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). Published proof-of-concept experiments demonstrated that the process can be self-sustaining (i.e., requires energy input only to start the process) and achieve essentially complete remediation of the contaminated soil. Those initial experiments indicated that the process may be applicable across a broad range of NAPLs and soils. This work presents the results of a series of bench-scale experiments that examine in detail the sensitivity of the process to a range of key parameters, including contaminant concentration, water saturation, soil type, and air flow rates for two contaminants, coal tar and crude oil. Smoldering combustion was observed to be self-sustaining in the range 28,400 to 142,000 mg/kg for coal tar and in the range 31,200 to 104,000 mg/kg for crude oil, for the base case air flux. The process remained self-sustaining and achieved effective remediation across a range of initial water concentrations (0 to 177,000 mg/kg water) despite extended ignition times and decreased temperatures and velocities of the reaction front. The process also exhibited self-sustaining and effective remediation behavior across a range of fine to coarse sand grain sizes up to a threshold maximum value between 6 mm and 10 mm. Propagation velocity is observed to be highly dependent on air flux, and smoldering was observed to be self-sustaining down to an air Darcy flux of at least 0.5 cm/s for both contaminants. The extent of remediation in these cases was determined to be at least 99.5% and 99.9% for crude oil and coal tar, respectively. Moreover, no physical evidence of contamination was detected in the treatment zone for any case where a self-sustaining reaction was achieved. Lateral heat losses to the external environment were observed to significantly affect the smoldering process at the bench scale, suggesting that the field-scale lower bounds on concentration and air flux and upper bound on grain size were not achieved; larger scale experiments and field trials where lateral heat losses are much less significant are necessary to define these process limits for the purposes of field application. This work provides valuable design data for pilot field trials of both in situ and ex situ smoldering remediation applications.

Role of NAPL Thermal Properties in the Effectiveness of Hot Water Flooding

Hot water flooding is a thermal nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) recovery technology originally developed in the petroleum industry that has recently been proposed for enhanced recovery of NAPLs in the contaminated subsurface. This technology, however, has received relatively little laboratory or numerical modeling investigation in the contaminant hydrology community. In this study the utility of flooding NAPL contaminated source zones at elevated water temperatures was investigated. Simulations were conducted using 16 different geostatistical representations of an actual field site. Two NAPLs were selected for this study—a light NAPL with hydraulic properties that have moderate temperature dependencies and a dense NAPL with significant viscosity temperature dependency. For these two NAPLs, flooding the source zone with water at elevated temperatures resulted in enhanced NAPL recovery. However, injection of hot water also resulted in accelerated downward movement of coal tar DNAPL due to the reduced viscosity at elevated temperatures. NAPL recovery was also dependent on the source zone architecture with greater NAPL mass recovery when the NAPL was localized in a small volume at high saturations. These results suggest that hot water flooding can significantly speed up the recovery of viscous NAPLs and, as such, is a powerful technique for the remediation of viscous NAPLs.

Analytical closed-form solutions for assessing pumping cycles, times, and costs required for NAPL remediation

An analytical solution is given to evaluate the number and duration of pumping cycles required for the remediation by pumping of contaminants, both single component and multi-component non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), when no free product is present in the system. The method can be applied in a homogenous medium if the contamination zones have been delineated and residual total NAPL concentrations assessed. Based on the principle of the NAPL partitioning in unsaturated or saturated porous media, analytical closed-form solutions are provided for both cases of remediation by pumping in saturated and unsaturated conditions: “pump-and-treat” and “soil vapor extraction”. In each case we determine the number of pumping cycles required to reach the residual required concentration of NAPL (for example, according to health-based standards), considering one or more chemicals simultaneously present in an aquifer. The method requires information on the aquifer saturation state and the properties of the chemicals of interest. Calculations are based on the assumption of equilibrium partitioning of chemicals between the pore water, the soil solids, and the soil gas (in the case of unsaturated conditions), and no presence of a NAPL phase.

Analytical solutions for surfactant‐enhanced remediation of nonaqueous phase liquids

Benchmark compositional solutions are presented for the remediation of aquifers contaminated with nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) by injection of surfactant‐water mixtures. The method of characteristics (MOC) is used to find one‐dimensional analytical solutions to the Riemann problem where three partially miscible phases are flowing in a Winsor type III microemulsion. In partially miscible flow, two or three phases form when the components (constituents) are mixed in some but not all proportions. Three relative permeability models are examined, and MOC solutions are found. Fine‐grid numerical simulations match the MOC results. The composition routes and contaminant recoveries can differ significantly depending on the relative permeability model used. The results for each model are optimized to determine the minimum surfactant volume required for complete contaminant recovery. Unlike two‐phase partially miscible flow, the presence of three flowing phases makes it impossible to reach miscibility between the injected and resident fluids, regardless of surfactant concentration.

Comparison of Bioenhancement of Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Pool Dissolution with First- and Zero-Order Biokinetics

Dissolution is one of the key physiochemical processes controlling subsurface remediation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) pools. One process that can accelerate NAPL pool dissolution is in situ biodegradation. The bioenhancement of NAPL pool dissolution has been studied previously using an analytical solution for the case of first-order biodegradation kinetics. However, data suggest that at typical NAPL source zone concentrations, mathematical description of dissolution bioenhancement may require biokinetic models ranging from first to zero order. In this work, it was determined that an nth-order approximation could be derived using the first-order case and bioenhancement was compared under first- and zero-order conditions. Two example scenarios demonstrate that predictions of the potential magnitude of the bioenhancement effect are erroneously high when the first- and zero-order cases are incorrectly applied.

Using Continuum Approach to Quantify the Remediation of Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Contaminated Fractured Permeable Formations

This study addresses the feasibility of using a continuum modeling approach to simulate pump-and-treat remediation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminated fractured permeable formations. A simplified discrete fracture model, which incorporates permeable blocks with embedded parallel equidistant constant aperture fractures, was used to simulate the NAPL dissolution in an idealized fractured permeable formation. The applicability of this model is defined by the ranges of a dimensionless mobility number and interphase mass transfer coefficient. A continuum based model able to simulate phenomena predicted by the discrete fracture model has also been used. Three dimensionless parameters referring to organic solute advection and dispersion, and the continuum interphase mass transfer coefficient govern the performance of the continuum model. The nonlinear relationships between the discrete fracture and continuum model have been identified and formulated. However, the simplified conceptual models of this study may be inapplicable to many types of fractured formations. Ranges of possible use of the continuum modeling were determined in terms of dimensionless parameters. The discrete fracture and continuum approaches of this study can be useful for the preliminary evaluation of ideas concerning optimization of the remediation of NAPL contaminated fractured permeable formations.

Surfactant Enhanced Mobilization of Mineral Oil within Porous Media

The remediation of non-aqueous phase liquids(NAPL) using conventional aquifer treatment technologies islimited by the low solubility of NAPL. Surfactants can promotethe enhanced removal of NAPL through mobilization, a mechanismthat relies on the reduction of interfacial tension (IFT) at theflushing solution / NAPL interface. The conditions governingmobilization can be represented by the total trapping number(NT), a dimensionless quantity relating viscous and buoyancyforces to the capillary forces trapping the NAPL residual. Column studies were conducted with dilute Triton X-100 solutionsdelivered through Ottawa sand spiked with light white mineraloil. At the higher flow rate, the surfactant solutions yieldedNT values greater than the critical NT necessary toinitiate mobilization, thereby promoting greater NAPL recovery asIFT dropped. While the critical NT was not surpassed at thelower flow rate, variations in mineral oil recovery duringflushing clearly indicate a surfactant effect. The surfactant-induced enhancement and retardation of NAPL removal at the lowerflow rate both highlight the limitations of the NT approach. For systems where free product NAPL is present, the totaltrapping number approach requires further refinement to defineits applicability as an indicator for NAPL mobilization.

Performance assessment of NAPL remediation in heterogeneous alluvium

Over the last few years, more than 40 partitioning interwell tracer tests (PITTs) have been conducted at many different sites to measure nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) saturations in the subsurface. While the main goal of these PITTs was to estimate the NAPL volume in the subsurface, some were specifically conducted to assess the performance of remedial actions involving NAPL removal. In this paper, we present a quantitative approach to assess the performance of remedial actions to recover NAPL that can be used to assess any NAPL removal technology. It combines the use of PITTs (to estimate the NAPL volume in the swept pore volume between injection and extraction wells of a test area) with the use of several cores to determine the vertical NAPL distribution in the subsurface. We illustrate the effectiveness of such an approach by assessing the performance of a surfactant/foam flood conducted at Hill Air Force Base, UT, to remove a TCE-rich NAPL from alluvium with permeability contrasts as high as one order of magnitude. In addition, we compare the NAPL volumes determined by the PITTs with volumes estimated through geostatistical interpolation of aquifer sediment core data collected with a vertical frequency of 5–10 cm and a lateral borehole spacing of 0.15 m. We demonstrate the use of several innovations including the explicit estimation of not only the errors associated with NAPL volumes and saturations derived from PITTs but also the heterogeneity of the aquifer sediments based upon permeability estimates. Most importantly, we demonstrate the reliability of the PITT in strongly heterogeneous aquifer sediments—a feature of particular importance at those sites where the volume of NAPL-contaminated aquifer sediments is too large to afford soil coring at a density of sampling that yields similar NAPL volumes as the PITT. Finally, the data support the proposed performance assessment protocol for NAPL remediation combining the use of PITTs and several aquifer sediment cores for vertical definition of the NAPL geometry.

EVALUATION OF REMEDIATION PERFORMANCE AND COST FOR FIELD-SCALE SINGLE-PHASE MICROEMULSION (SPME) FLUSHING

Pump-and-treat strategies employed to contain contaminant plumes have been demonstrated to be inefficient, and often ineffective, for remediation of aquifers contaminated by nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). This has prompted the development of alternative technologies to provide enhanced remediation of NAPL source zones. The results reported here are from a solubilization study wherein the objective was to achieve high NAPL remediation efficiencies using a low concentration of chemical additives in the flushing solution. A surfactant/alcohol mixture was used to generate a Winsor Type I system, where the NAPL was solubilized and transported as a single-phase microemulsion (SPME). For the SPME process, only 5.5 wt% of the flushing solution comprised chemical additives. The costs associated with this project are discussed and approaches aimed at reducing costs are suggested.

Applications of ultrasound in NAPL remediation: sonochemical degradation of TCE in aqueous surfactant solutions.

Surfactant-enhanced pump-and-treat technologies increase the efficiency of nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs) removal from soils. However, high concentrations of surfactants in groundwater impose severe limitations to water treatment. In this paper, we explore the applicability of ultrasonic irradiation as an alternative method for surfactant recovery and contaminant degradation. The combined effects of temperature, initial substrate concentration, and concentration of added surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) were analyzed for the sonolysis of trichloroethylene (TCE) in batch experiments at an ultrasonic frequency of 500 kHz and 77 W/L applied power density. In the range of 5-30 degrees C, TCE sonolysis becomes faster at higher temperatures, both in the absence and in the presence of surfactant. This indicates that gas-phase pyrolysis prevails over other chemical reactions in the liquid phase. Inhibition of TCE sonolysis was observed in the presence of surfactant at all SDS concentrations. Changes in the initial TCE concentration (from 250 microM to 1.2 mM) showed no effect on the degradation rates in the presence of SDS. For surfactant levels below its critical micelle concentration (cmc), the inhibition of TCE sonolysis exhibited a highly nonlinear dependence with increasing SDS concentration. A correlation was observed in this range between the relative inhibition of sonolysis and the decreasing surface tension of the solutions. Above the cmc up to an SDS concentration of 5%, the reaction rate decreased less markedly. Micellar sequestration of the contaminant seems to be the main reason for this additional inhibition. Bubble growth prior to collapse may incorporate some of the TCE dissolved in the micelles through their adsorption in the expanding bubble walls, thus partially overcoming the scavenging effect due to micellar entrapment of the contaminant.

Biosurfactant-enhanced solubilization of NAPL mixtures

Remediation of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) by conventional pump-and-treat methods (i.e., water flushing) is generally considered to be ineffective due to low water solubilities of NAPLs and to mass-transfer constraints. Chemical flushing techniques, such as surfactant flushing, can greatly improve NAPL remediation primarily by increasing the apparent solubility of NAPL contaminants. NAPLs at hazardous waste sites are often complex mixtures. However, the equilibrium and nonequilibrium mass-transfer characteristics between NAPL mixtures and aqueous surfactant solutions are not well understood. This research investigates the equilibrium solubilization behavior of two- and three-component NAPL mixtures (containing akylbenzenes) in biosurfactant solutions. NAPL solubilization is found to be ideal in water (i.e., obeys Raoult's Law), while solubilization in biosurfactant solutions was observed to be nonideal. Specifically, the relatively hydrophobic compounds in the mixture experienced solubility enhancements that were greater than those predicted by ideal enhanced solubilization theory, while the solubility enhancements for the relatively hydrophilic compounds were less than predicted. The degree of nonideality is shown to be a nonlinear function of the NAPL-phase mole fraction. Empirical relationships based on the NAPL-phase mole fraction and/or micelle-aqueous partition coefficients measured in single-component NAPL systems are developed to estimate values for the multicomponent partition coefficients. Empirical relationships that incorporate both the NAPL-phase mole fraction and single-component partition coefficients yield much improved estimates for the multicomponent partition coefficient.

NAPL source zone characterization and remediation technology performance assessment: recent developments and applications of tracer techniques

Several innovative tracer techniques have been introduced during the past 5 years for enhanced characterization of the “source zones” at sites contaminated with non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) wastes. These tracer techniques allow for an in situ estimation of domain-averaged values and spatial patterns for NAPL saturation ( S n), NAPL–water interfacial area ( a nw), and bio-geochemical reactivity ( k s) within the target test zone. The tracer tests can be used to evaluate the spatial patterns in these parameters, both before and after implementing some in situ technique for site cleanup, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation achieved and the possible impacts of the cleanup technology on hydrodynamic and bio-geochemical processes. Here, we review the theoretical and experimental basis for these tracer methods, present selected examples of recent field-scale applications, and examine their reliability.

Laboratory characterization of non-aqueous phase liquid/tracer interaction in support of a vadose zone partitioning interwell tracer test

Contaminant characterization is important for successful remediation of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the unsaturated zone. A partitioning interwell tracer test (PITT) can provide a good estimate of average subsurface NAPL saturations. Screening experiments were completed in the laboratory to evaluate several gas tracers for a PITT study to be completed in the vadose zone at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. Four perfluorocarbon tracers were found to be suitable for this PITT. Further laboratory column studies were completed using contaminated field soil to measure the partition coefficients between the tracers and the NAPL. The results from the column studies showed that the air/NAPL tracer partition coefficients ranged from 8.8±0.6 to 71±3. This range of partition coefficients is suitable for detection of NAPL saturations in the field of 0.002 to 0.14.

Anionic surfactant remediation of soil columns contaminated by nonaqueous phase liquids

A variety of column experiments have been completed for the purpose of selecting and evaluating suitable surfactants for remediation of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). The various NAPLs tested in the laboratory experiments were tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), jet fuel (JP4) and a dense nonaqueous phase liquid from a site at Hill Air Force Base, UT. Both Ottawa sand and Hill field soil were used in these experiments. Surfactant candidates were first screened using phase behavior experiments and only the best ones were selected for the subsequent column experiments. Surfactants which showed high contaminant solubilization, fast coalescence times, and the absence of liquid crystal phases and gels during the phase behavior experiments were tested in soil column experiments. The primary objective of the soil column experiments was to identify surfactants that recovered at least 99% of the contaminant. The secondary objective was to identify surfactants that show low adsorption and little or no loss of hydraulic conductivity during the column experiments. Results demonstrated that up to 99.9% of the contaminants were removed as a result of surfactant flooding of the soil columns. The addition of xanthan gum polymer to the surfactant solution was shown to increase remediation efficiency as a lower volume of surfactant was required for recovering a given volume of NAPL. Based on these experimental results, guidelines for designing highly efficient and robust surfactant floods have been developed and applied to a field demonstration.

The Effectiveness of Surfactants for Remediation of Organic Pollutants in the Unsaturated Zone

In laboratory experiments performed to evaluate the efficiency of surfactant flushing for remediation of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in the unsaturated zone, less than 0.001% of the original mass of tetra-chloroethylene (PCE) remained in the column after 15 pore volumes of a 1% sorbitan monooleate solution or after 7 pore volumes of a 1% Ethomid O/17 solution were passed through the columns. Mass removed as dissolved phase in the effluent accounted for more than 90% of PCE removed; the remainder was lost by volatilization. To determine the influence of parameters that may affect the remediation process, column tests were repeated with different values of parameters, including grain size, application rate, surfactant type, surfactant concentration, and solution viscosity. The results from the column experiments were simulated with the two-dimensional finite element computer code for multiphase flow and transport, MOTRANS. Results of the simulation were similar to those from the experiments. Both experimental and modeling results suggest that surfactant flushing has a great potential to remove mass from NAPL in the unsaturated zone.

Literature Review of 2-D Laboratory Experiments in NAPL Flow, Transport, and Remediation

The migration of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants in the subsurface results in a complex multiphase environment due in part to heterogeneity in both the soil and fluid saturations. To accurately predict the flow, transport, and remediation of NAPL contaminants, research has focused on laboratory and numerical modeling of the subsurface environment. Within this research, 2-D laboratory model are advantageous due to the fact that the capillary, viscous, and buoyancy forces found in the subsurface environment can be reproduced. Thus, they can be used to study flow and transport, test and develop remediation technologies, and verify numerical models. However, to date a comprehensive review of the 2-D experimental work has not been compiled. The review presented in this article should be of interest to geohydrologists, engineers and scientists involved in both applied and research aspects of NAPL-contaminated aquifers.

The Remediation of Tetrachloroethylene by Surfactant Flushing in Both the Saturated and the Unsaturated Zone

Column and box experiments were performed to evaluate the efficiency of surfactant flushing for remediation of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in water saturated and unsaturated sands under controlled conditions. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was selected as the NAPL and a 1 % solution of sorbitan monooleate as the surfactant to be studied. Four column experiments using Ottawa sand and sand from the aquifer at Canadian Forces Base Borden were performed by flushing a 1 % sorbitan monooleate solution through the columns under saturated and unsaturated conditions, and their results were compared to the results of column experiments that flushed water only. Two-dimensional box experiments with Ottawa sand were duplicated in the unsaturated condition. Both in the saturated and the unsaturated column experiments, less than 0.5 % of the original mass of PCE remained in the column after flushing 12 pore volumes of a 1 % sorbitan monooleate solution. Mass removed from the saturated column as dissolved phase accounted for more than 98 % of PCE removed and more than 91 % of PCE was removed from the unsaturated column. Approximately 9 % of the mass of PCE was estimated to have been lost by volatilization during the unsaturated column experiments. In the unsaturated box experiment, 85 % of the initial PCE was removed from the effluent within 5 pore volumes of surfactant flushing and 0.5 % of the initial mass of PCE remained in the box.

Surfactant enhanced removal of PCE in a nominally two-dimensional, saturated, stratified porous medium

Although surfactant enhanced remediation of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) by pump-and-treat technology has been studied extensively in the laboratory with one-dimensional columns, very few multi-dimensional investigations have been reported. In this study we focus on the removal of perchloroethylene (PCE) from a two-dimensional, saturated porous medium containing a low permeability sand layer situated in an otherwise high permeability sand. A PCE spill was applied at the surface of the porous medium and allowed to redistribute until static equilibrium was achieved. The porous medium was then flushed with various surfactant and co-solvent formulations injected at the PCE source location and extracted at the bottom of the porous medium using a configuration similar to that of Abdul and Ang [Abdul, S.A., Ang, C.C., 1994. In situ surfactant washing of polychlorinated biphenyls and oils from a contaminated field site: Phase II. Pilot study. Ground Water 32, 727–734]. Effluent samples were analyzed for dissolved PCE concentrations. Volumetric water and PCE content values were determined at a number of locations by means of dual-energy gamma radiation measurements. Once surfactant flushing had started, PCE moved as a distinct separate phase ahead of the surfactant front. Most of this downward moving PCE accumulated on top of the low permeability sand layer. Some PCE, however, passed quickly through this layer and subsequently through the high permeability sand below it. Movement of some of the PCE into and through the low permeability sand layer was attributed to local heterogeneities combined with reduced interfacial tensions associated with the surfactant formulation. Clean-up of PCE in most of the high permeability sand was considered to be effective. PCE accumulated on top of the fine layer, however, posed a significant challenge to remediation and required several pumping configurations and surfactant/co-solvent formulations before most of it was removed.

Field‐scale evaluation of in situ cosolvent flushing for enhanced aquifer remediation

A comprehensive, field‐scale evaluation of in situ cosolvent flushing for enhanced remediation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)‐contaminated aquifers was performed in a hydraulically isolated test cell (about 4.3 m × 3.6 m) constructed at a field site at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This sand‐gravel‐cobble surficial aquifer, underlain by a deep clay confining unit at about 6 m below ground surface, was contaminated with a multicomponent NAPL as a result of jet fuel and chlorinated solvent disposal during the 1940s and 1950s. The water table within the test cell was raised to create a 1.5 m saturated flow zone that contained the NAPL smear zone. The cosolvent flushing test consisted of pumping about 40,000 L (approximately nine pore volumes) of a ternary cosolvent mixture (70% ethanol, 12% n‐pentanol, and 18% water) through the test cell over a period of 10 days, followed by flushing with water for another 20 days. Several methods for assessing site remediation yielded consistent results, indicating that on the average >85% mass of the several target contaminants was removed as a result of the cosolvent flushing; NAPL constituent removal effectiveness was greater (90–99+%) in the upper 1‐m zone, in comparison to about 70–80% in the bottom 0.5‐m zone near the clay confining unit. Various interacting factors that control the hydrodynamic sweep efficiency, and the NAPL removal effectiveness during cosolvent flushing in this unconfined aquifer are discussed.