Underground Leakage Research Articles

A Comparison of Popular Remedial Technologies for Petroleum Contaminated Soils from Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

A Comparison of Popular Remedial Technologies for Petroleum Contaminated Soils from Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

Underground Leakage into Freezing Ground

Certrifuge model tests are used to identify the path of dyed ethylene glycol (antifreeze) when it leaks from a cylinder buried in freezing or frozen silt at different times during the freezing cycle. The paths followed are contrasted to the path followed by release of dyed water from the same cylinder in a model undergoing freezing, and in another model, to the path followed by release of the ethylene glycol from the cylinder into soil not subjected to freezing. When ethylene glycol is released after freezing has penetrated well below the elevation of the leak, it is contained, at least over that duration (simulating 0.4 years), by the surrounding ice rich frozen soil. The same behavior is observed when ethylene glycol is released into unfrozen soil that experiences no subsequent freezing. When ethylene glycol is released before freezing, subsequent freezing draws the contaminant vertically to the soil surface. When it is released as freezing is occurring at the elevation at which the ethylene glycol is released, its path is long and inclined upward, moving far from the point of injection; dyed water released at the same elevation and at the same point during the freezing process does not travel far from the point of injection before being frozen in place.

Source-identification investigations of petroleum contaminated groundwater in the Missouri Ozarks

The growing population in the Missouri Ozarks rely on the abundant supply of potable groundwater found in the fractured bedrock underlying the region. Protection of this valuable resource from surface, or near-surface contamination is essential to the health and safety of the citizens of Missouri. Petroleum products stored in underground storage tanks pose a threat to groundwater if a release occurs. “Pools” of free product of petroleum can become trapped in voids commonly found on the karst bedrock of the Ozarks. These pools become underground sources of contamination by slowly dissolving into the groundwater. Although the free product rarely travels far from the surface source, dissolved-phase contamination can migrate thousands of meters through underground conduits. Dissolved phase petroleum degasses and partitions out of the groundwater in these conduits. Consequently, contaminated groundwater is not commonly found more than a kilometer or two (few thousand feet) from the source. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey's Leaking Underground Storage Tank Unit (DGLS/LUST) investigates sites where petroleum-contaminated groundwater has been found in springs or private wells but a source of the contamination is unknown. These investigations start at the regional scale by determining the recharge area of the contaminated groundwater and by identifying the potentially responsible parties (PRPs). A review of DGLS documents and well logs supplemented by field measurements of water levels in private wells throughout the area is used to construct a potentiometric map and determine regional groundwater flow direction. Water tracing is used to confirm or deny the validity/accuracy of the potentiometric map and to establish hydrogeologic connections between the potential surface source of the contamination and the affected groundwater. Fluorescent dyes are injected into the subsurface, recovered in packets containing activated carbon and analyzed by a synchronously scanning spectrofluorometer. These results are compared to background fluorescence conditions established at the site prior to injection. The background conditions and dye recovery results must be submitted to the Missouri Water Trace Committee for approval as an independent quality assurance/quality control measure. Each of the PRPs found to be within the recharge area of the contaminated groundwater are investigated to determine the source, or sources, of the contamination. Initial field screening techniques are followed up by confirmatory sampling of soil and groundwater. Geophysical methods such as resistivity and electromagnetic conductivity are used to locate the bedrock surface, fracture patterns and areas of extensive petroleum contamination. On-site drilling activities are performed at each of the PRPs with on-site contamination screening methods such as analyzing soil gas within the borehole with a photoionization detector (PID) and colorimetric tubes. Soil samples are collected and can be analyzed on-site with immunoassay kits with confirmatory samples sent to the lab. Temporary monitoring wells are installed in boreholes to collect on-site groundwater data. Depth-to-water levels are measured, and the relative elevations of the temporary wells are surveyed so that a more detailed potentiometric map can be constructed. Water samples are collected from the temporary wells, and the boreholes are abandoned per Missouri Law. Petroleum fingerprinting by fluorescence is another tool used to investigate PRPs and determine the source of contamination. Petroleum is extracted from soil or water samples collected during on-site drilling and compared to the petroleum which is extracted from a sample collected at the contaminated spring or well.

Simulation study of a hydrostat design for detecting underground leakage of water supply using neutron backscattering

We have embarked upon the development of a new detection method for underground water leakage using a neutron backscattering system. We have estimated the performance capabilities of such a system using Monte Carlo simulation. It is indicated that a leak which results in 40% water content in the surrounding soils could be detected at depths of up to 40 cm from the surface to the center of the source of leakage. This new detection system could be useful as a hydrostat of underground water supply in noisy areas such as Tokyo, in place of presently-used hydrostats which are based on detection of changes in sound.

Leak Detection Cost‐effective and Beneficial

One of the major contributors to water loss is unknown underground leaks in the distribution system, most of which go undetected for long periods of time. Aggressive leakage control programs can usually locate 50‐75 percent of unaccounted‐for water, which is the difference between the water delivered to the distribution system and the amount of water sold to customers. This article discusses using sonic leak detection, and also the benefits of a leak detection program.

A Model of Groundwater Pollution From an Underground Source

Saturation distribution within an aquifer of a pollutant discharging from an underground source is modeled by a two‐dimensional, nonlinear diffusion‐convection equation. A closed form self‐similar solution is obtained for the steady saturation distribution in the immiscible zone. The results may be used to rationalize the field data collected for predicting locations of underground leakage sources in aquifers. The solution may be used to check numerical models of the movement of dense liquids in the aquifer.

EPA looks to change—Not grow

Clinton asked for $7.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency in FY 1996—a $138 million (2% increase) over FY 1995. EPA's hallmark, according to the agency, is “not growth, but change,” with its strategic plan The New Generation of Environmental Protection as its signpost. Ecosystem protection, environmental justice, pollution prevention, strong science and data, partnerships, environmental accountability, and reinventing EPA management are its top priorities.Clinton's budget asks for $1.56 billion for the Superfund program, a $131.7 million increase over fiscal year 1995. The budget has $77.3 million, a $7.3 million increase, for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program. EPA's water infrastructure program would take a $404 million hit in FY 1996, down to $2.37 billion.

ChemInform Abstract: Assessment of the Applicability of Chemical Oxidation Technologies for the Treatment of Contaminants at Leaking Underground Storage Tank ( LUST) Sites

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Evaluation of Responsiveness of a California Central Coast Leaking Underground Fuel Tank Program: ABSTRACT

The Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business (COLAB) appointed a task force during 1993 to evaluate changes to the Santa Barbara County's LUFT and SMU programs to make them more responsive to the RP's needs, more cost efficient, more expeditious, and to regain local control of the LUFT program without sacrificing environmental quality or jeopardizing the health and safety of the local residents. The COLAB task force provided the County Health Care Services director with a comprehensive report recommending 25 changes to the LUFT/SMU guidance document and to department policy. These recommendations included the appointment of an advisory committee to review department policy and guidelines, limiting LUFT/SMU staff efforts that duplicate consultant activities, the development of a deminimus rule that would immediately close sites with insignificant levels and quantities of soil and/or groundwater contamination, adopt guidelines for the use of fate and transport models and risk assessments as a mechanism for site closure, speed review of work plans, develop uniform standards for sampling and reporting, consolidation of county permits for contaminated sites into one or two departments, grant exemptions for some permit requirements, develop a policy for distributing responsibility for commingled plumes among several parties, and to develop an appeals more » board for resolving disagreements between the responsible parties' consultants and the county. Various personnel changes were recommended with the intention of increasing the level of technical expertise and professionalism of the county's staff, and making the staff more responsive to the public. These recommendations included hiring an individual licensed in the field of engineering geology or hydrogeology, developing guidelines for conflict of interest, and hiring of an individual to aid the responsible parties in obtaining reimbursement from the state fund set up for that purpose pursuant to AB 2004. « less

A natural history of underground fuel tank leakage

(1993). A natural history of underground fuel tank leakage. Environmental Claims Journal: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 339-348.

Transport model parameter sensitivity for soil cleanup level determinations using sesoil and at123d in the context of the california leaking underground fuel tank field manual

Abstract The California Leaking Underground Fuel Tank Field Manual (LUFT Manual; WRCB, 1989) is used by the regulatory community, consultants, and industry in California to determine acceptable cleanup concentration goals for the remediation of hydrocarbon‐affected soils. The LUFT methodology is a semiquanitative approach that uses rating tables that consider the effects of local precipitation and the depth to ground water from the deepest affected soils, as well as anthropogenic and geologic factors. The latter factors are evaluated subjectively, with only the effects of local precipitation and depth to ground water accounted for quantitatively. To assess the effects of these variables on the hydrocarbon concentrations that could be left in soil while protecting ground water quality, the state of California performed modeling using SESOIL and AT123D. The results from a small number of simulations covering a very narrow range of input parameter values were then extrapolated to form the LUFT Manual rating tables, which cover ranges in precipitation and depth to ground water of 0 to 40 in. per year and 5 to 150 ft, respectively. Although the use of these tables generally results in conservative cleanup level determinations, the extrapolation method used and the lack of consideration for extremely sensitive input parameters (other than precipitation and depth to ground water) in the development of the tables calls into question their validity. A sensitivity analysis on the model input parameters is presented that highlights several critical input parameters that greatly affect cleanup concentration determinations. The sensitivity analysis shows that certain parameters that were fixed at conservative levels for the development of the LUFT Manual rating tables (e.g., biodegradation rate and soil organic carbon content) are more sensitive than precipitation and the depth to ground water. In many cases, site‐specific analysis will thus yield higher soil cleanup concentrations that are still protective of water quality. In addition, in some instances the cleanup concentrations in the LUFT Manual tables are not protective of water quality. To provide a firm basis for soil cleanup‐level determinations, site‐specific analysis is recommended whenever significant quantities of soil may require remediation. This will provide more cost‐effective remediation and greater assurance of water quality protection.

Screening Methodology for Assessing Cleanup Technologies for Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

Screening Methodology for Assessing Cleanup Technologies for Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

EPA 1990 Budget

Lee M. Thomas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, announced that President Reagan has proposed a total fiscal budget of $4.9 billion for EPA, representing a 9% increase from 1989. The request includes $1.83 billion for operating programs, $1.75 billion for the Superfund program, $100 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program, $1.2 billion for the Construction Grants program, and $421.5 million for research and development.EPA's major shift of emphasis for 1990 will be an increased focus on long‐term research, to complement their traditionally shorterterm regulatory demands. This will allow the agency to anticipate and address emerging environmental problems that require a longer‐term perspective, especially the effects of global climate change. The policy will also allow EPA to prevent pollution at its source, rather than concentrating primarily on cleanup efforts, as has been done in the past. Superfund is a high priority for 1990, as is the LUST progam.

Use of urea as a nitrogen fertilizer in bioreclamation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil.

Recently there has been increased concern over the spillage and underground leakage of refined petroleum hydrocarbons into soils. Deposition of these petroleum products may occur as a result of storage tank and pipeline leakage, and transport accidents. As a means to clean up such a spill, soil biochemists have recommended bioclamation with amendments consisting of fertilizers, in particular nitrogen and phosphorus. Petroleum hydrocarbons are highly carbonaceous in nature and often lack the necessary nutrients (N and P) to promote biodegradation. Hydrocarbon-oxidizing organisms require nitrogen and phosphorus to degrade hydrocarbons at a ratio of approximately equal to their cellular tissue. This investigation focuses on a particular nitrogen fertilizer, urea, which can be used as a bioamendment in reclamation of oil spills. It should be kept in mind that upon contamination, a readily available nitrogen source should be accessible to the microorganisms in degrading the contaminant. This study revels that urea, although having a high nitrogen content, may not be the best choice to optimize biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Termites to Blame in Underground Leaks

Destruction of rubber gaskets at the joints of 8‐inch water lines by termites led to substantial amounts of water loss in Honolulu, Hawaii. Damaged gaskets were replaced, and stainless steel clamps were installed over the pipe joints.

Test Results of a Corrosion Logging Technique Using Electromagnetic Thickness and Pipe Analysis Logging Tools

Summary Recent innovations in subsurface corrosion practices of the Arabian American Oil Co. (ARAMCO) have reduced logging and workover costs substantially and have permitted the detection of corrosion in the outer string of two concentric casing strings. At the request of ARAMCO, Schlumberger conducted test under both simulated and field conditions. Results showed that the data required to evaluate casing corrosion in a 7-in. × 9 5/8 -in. completion can be obtained during a single logging run using a 21.6-in. coil spacing electromagnetic thickness tool (ETT-A TM) sonde (as opposed to two runs with 17.6-in. and 21.6-in. sondes previously used). In addition, corrosion of the outer string of 9 5/8-in. or 13 3/8-in. casing can be detected by using the results of the ETT-A logs and pipe-analysis tool (PAT) logs or caliper logs. To date, the application of this technique has been very successful in ARAMCO's operations. Introduction For several years ARAMCO has used the ETT-A in conjunction with the multifingered caliper (MFC) tool for monitoring casing corrosion in single strings of both 7-in. and 9 5/8-in. casing. The results of these logs were often the basis for workover recommendations in injection wells and to a greater extent, when run in conjunction with workover operations on producing wells, the basis for additional operations to ensure good wellbore integrity. In the past, two separate logging runs were made to evaluate corrosion in each of the 7-in. and 9 5/8-in. casing strings. The 17.6-in. coil spacing ETT-A sonde was used in 7-in. casing while the 21.6-in. coil spacing ETT-A sonde was employed in 9 5/8-in. casing. The obvious disadvantage of this technique is the additional cost incurred in making two separate logging runs. An additional disadvantage is the added workover rig downtime. As corrosion in the near-surface outer string of dual casing strings increased, it became imperative to develop a technique by which corrosion in the outer string could be detected and corrected before complete breakdown of the casing resulted in underground communication or surface leaks. To this end ARAMCO approached Schlumberger to determine whether any of the corrosion monitoring tools (specifically the ETT-A) then in use could be adapted to detect corrosion in the outer string of two strings of pipe and to determine whether an optimal coil spacing existed that could be used in both 7-in. and 9 5/8-in. casing strings. Tests were undertaken by Schlumberger in their AlKhobar. Saudi Arabia, shops to determine the optimal coil spacing of the ETT-A and to confirm that this spacing could respond to the total metal of dual casing strings. Once this optimal spacing was determined, it would then be possible to use the ETT-A to check the total metal present, and when run in conjunction with the PAT or MFC, it would be possible to differentiate the corrosion affecting the inner and outer strings. JPT P. 801^

An outbreak of Norwalk gastroenteritis associated with swimming in a pool and secondary person-to-person transmission.

In June 1977 an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis affected 103 students and teachers at an elementary school in Ohio. The illness typically lasted 24 hours or less and was characterized by vomiting (86%) and cramping (70%), but more than half of the persons involved also reported having nausea, diarrhea, and headache. Similar illness frequently followed in household members (29%) of families with primary cases. Investigation revealed that 70% of the children and teachers who swam in a pool at an all day outing June 1 (4 classrooms) and 55% of those who swam during a similar outing June 2 (2 classrooms) had the onset of acute illness from 12--48 hours later. None of the children who attended the outings but did not swim had a similar illness. The evidence suggested that the primary outbreak was caused by contaminated water in the pool and that person-to-person spread of illness followed. Results of a microbiologic study of pool water were negative for bacterial and viral pathogens. Throat washings, stool specimens, and paired blood samples studied for evidence of pathogens were negative initially, but subsequent serologic studies suggested that infection by Norwalk virus was the cause of the outbreak. The pool chlorinator which was inadvertently unconnected at the time of the school visits was reconnected and an underground leak in the water supply pipes was corrected. No more cases were reported after the pool was drained, cleaned, and reopened.

Safer burial grounds for radioactive wastes

To help stem any leakage of radioactive wastes, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of the Interior, has embarked on an expanded program to study the hydrology and geology of the nation's present and proposed radioactive waste disposal sites. Despite recent reports by waste managers of underground leakage of radioactive wastes at burial sites, USGS scientists believe that safe burial grounds for solid radioactive wastes can be established but only if strict hydrogeologic criteria are rigorously applied in the selection of all new sites and if proper attention is given to inventory and classification of the waste to be buried. The USGS has been working with the Energy Research and Development Administration (formerly the Atomic Energy Commission) for more than 30 years on geology and water supply of atomic energy reservations and on research related to the disposal of high‐level liquid radioactive wastes in geologic formations, but the USGS role in solid radioactive waste disposal has been limited to reacting to problems as they were recognized by the agencies responsible for the regulation and development of nuclear energy.In 1975, Congress instructed the USGS to establish hydrogeologic criteria within 5 years for the selection of future sites for the disposal of solid radioactive wastes. In compliance with these instructions the USGS launched comprehensive field investigations in cooperation with responsible state agencies at state‐owned commercial burial sites in New York, South Carolina, and Kentucky. Similar studies that will include at least 5 years of data collection are planned in Illinois, Nevada, and Washington. These studies should have wide application because they will provide data on what has happened to radioactive wastes in six different hydrogeologic environments.

Economics of Leak Surveys

This article discusses the costs of treating and delivering water to customers, increases in costs, leakage in gravity and pumped supplies, and how a water waste survey will stop water loss by underground leaks.

Reduction of Unaccounted‐for Water

This article discusses the causes of unaccounted‐for water, including: inaccurate master meters; inaccurate domestic meters; inaccurate industrial and commerical meters; unauthorized use through fire lines or otherwise; underground leakage of mains and services; use of water from hydrants; and, leakage which would be uneconomical to repair.