Ten Year Performance Evaluation of a Field-Scale Zero-Valent Iron Permeable Reactive Barrier Installed to Remediate Trichloroethene Contaminated Groundwater

The Monkstown Fe0 PRB, Europe’s oldest commercially installed PRB, had been treating trichloroethene (TCE) contaminated groundwater for about 10 years on the Nortel Network site in Northern Ireland when cores were collected in December, 2006. Groundwater data from 2001-2006 indicated that TCE is being remediated to below detection limits as the contaminated groundwater flows through the PRB, Ca and Fe carbonates, crystalline and amorphous FeS, and Fe (oxy)hydroxides precipitates are present in the Fe0 filing material within the PRB. A greater variety of minerals are associated with a 1 cm thick slightly cemented crust at the entrance of the Fe0 section of the reactive vessel and the discontinuous cemented Fe0 material directly below it. Also, a greater presence of microbial communities occurred in the upper portion of the PRB compared to the lower section which might be due to less favourable conditions (i.e. high pH, low oxygen) for microbial growth in the lower section of the PRB. Visual estimation suggests that the Fe0 filings in the effluent section of the PRB have life-span of 10+ years compared to the Fe0 filings in the thin influent section of the PRB which may have a life span of only ~2-5 more years. Multi-tracer tests indicated that preferential pathways have formed in this PRB over the 10 years of operation.

Spectral induced polarization signatures of abiotic FeS precipitation

In recent years, geophysical methods have been shown to be sensitive to microbial-induced mineralization processes. The spectral induced-polarization (SIP) method appears to be very promising for monitoring mineralization and microbial processes. With this work, we study the links of mineralization and SIP signals, in the absence of microbial activity. We recorded the SIP response during abiotic FeS precipitation. We show that the SIP signals are diagnostic of FeS mineralization and can be differentiated from SIP signals from biomineralization processes. More specifically, the imaginary conductivity shows almost linear dependence on the amount of FeS precipitating out of solution, above the threshold value 0.006 gr under our experimental conditions. This research has direct implications for the use of the SIP method as a monitoring and decision-making tool for sustainable remediation of metals in contaminated soils and groundwater.