International Journal of Soil: Volume 2, Issue 1

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2009-01-01
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Thoughts on Manufacturing Changes in the US Petroleum Industry: Implications for Age-dating, Calculating Weathering Indices and Hydrocarbon Fingerprinting
Wade, Michael J.
Techniques for the hydrocarbon fingerprinting and age-dating of petroleum contamination in environmental matrices are undergoing major advancements in the environmental forensic community at the present time. Techniques that were reliable in the past to age-date gasoline may not be that reliable in the reality of today's modern refinery practices. Within the forensics community, age-dating of gasolines undergoes routine application using a variety of approaches. Not so for distillate fuels. Age-dating of distillate fuels is experiencing a major debate within the forensics community. Forces working to expand the use of hydrocarbon degradation models from soils to other matrices may have pushed the most widely-used age-dating approach too far, creating the current two-sided debate. Moreover, a newly-emerging problem with age-dating of distillate fuel contamination is outlined, examined, and discussed. It is recommended that the forensics community critically examine age-dating and environmental weathering calculation techniques to a degree that currently is missing.
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Ambient and Landfill-Impacted Groundwater Quality in the Hudson Valley of Southeastern New York State
Parisio, Steven J; Giordano, Jeremy; Knoth, Eva; Rodriguez, Sean; Rispoli, Michael
A large amount of groundwater quality monitoring data has been collected in connection with solid waste landfills regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Although sampling personnel and analytical laboratories are different for each site, a high degree of uniformity in methods is assured by state regulations which govern environmental monitoring at the landfills. In this study, data for selected parameters was pooled from upgradient, presumably uncontaminated, monitoring wells installed in different rock formations at a large number of sites in order to characterize regional variability in ambient groundwater quality. Parameters selected for this study are those considered to be most useful in detecting landfill-derived groundwater contamination and include alkalinity, ammonia, arsenic, chloride, chemical oxygen demand, hardness, iron, manganese, total phenols and total dissolved solids. Comparisons are made with data from monitoring wells downgradient of the landfills and with other available data sets. Emphasis is placed on whether parameters exceed applicable water quality standards in ambient groundwater and whether the parameters selected are reliable indicators of landfill-derived groundwater contamination. This study should be particularly useful in cases where topography, property boundaries or other site constraints make it impossible to site a valid upgradient monitoring point or where groundwater quality impact assessments must be made using a single monitoring point.
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Identifying, Scaling, and Evaluating Groundwater Restoration Projects as Compensation for Groundwater Injuries
Lane, Diana; Carney, Karen; Chapman, David
Restoration of natural resources is the ultimate goal of natural resource damage assessment (NRDA). According to the U.S. Department of Interior regulations for NRDA (43 CFR Part 11), Trustees of natural resources develop alternatives that will “restore, rehabilitate, replace, and/or acquire the equivalent of the injured resources.” Identification, scaling, and evaluation of groundwater restoration projects has proven challenging. This paper describes potential categories of groundwater restoration projects, including: 1) Generating clean water, 2) Conserving water, 3) Storing water for times of scarcity, and 4) Accessing new sources of water that were previously inaccessible or unusable. Examples of specific types of projects within these broad categories are provided, together with discussion of the particular challenges associated with scaling and evaluating these projects.
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Effects of Soil Matrix and Aging on the Dermal Bioavailability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Soil
Turkall, Rita M.; Skowronski, Gloria A.; Abdel-Rahman, Mohamed S.
The potential health risk from exposure to chemically contaminated soil can be assessed from bioavailability studies. The aims of this research were: (a) to determine the dermal bioavailability of contaminants in soil for representatives of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon class of chemicals, namely, benzo(a)pyrene and naphthalene, and (b) to examine the relative contribution of soil matrix and chemical sequestration in soil with time (“aging”) on their bioavailability. In vitro flow-through diffusion cell studies were performed utilizing dermatomed male pig skin and radioactive chemicals to measure dermal penetration. Volatilization of naphthalene was predominant in reducing the amount of chemical available for dermal penetration. Immediate contact with either of two soils reduced volatilization, however, only the soil with higher clay content resulted in reduced penetration. Aging in higher sand content soil and higher clay content soil further reduced skin penetration by 23 and 70 fold, respectively, versus naphthalene in the absence of soil. Benzo(a)pyrene penetration was reduced >88% following immediate contact with either soil with further reductions occurring after aging. While aging in either soil reduced the dermal penetration of both naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene, the effect on naphthalene was much greater. The results of this study suggest that the bioavailability from dermal exposure to the polycyclic aromatic chemicals examined can be significantly reduced by soil matrix and aging in soil, resulting in reduced potential health risk following dermal exposure.
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PCB and Heavy Metal Soil Remediation, Former Boat Yard, South Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Martin, Michael; Richards, Marc J.
PCB and Heavy Metal Soil Remediation, Former Boat Yard, South Dartmouth Massachusetts. Michael E. Martin & Marc J. Richards, Tighe & Bond Consulting Engineers. Heavy metals have been added to marine paint for more than 100-years to protect boats from biological, chemical and physical degradation. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were added to marine paint starting in the 1940’s to give the paint better adhesive properties and to provide anti-corrosion protection from moisture, chemicals and flames (approximately 2% composition of paint). The nature of the contamination at this project Site was primarily heavy metals and PCBs in soil and heavy metals in sediment. The source of soil contamination was from marine paint chips from repainting and maintenance activities conducted at the boatyard since the early 1900s. The source of sediment impacts is believed to be stormwater discharges to the Apponagansett Bay from routine boatyard activities, including power washing of boats. The overall goal of the soil remediation was to reduce PCB and metals exposure point concentrations at the Site to levels that do not pose a risk to human health and the environment. The work had to be conducted during the winter months, so the remedial and construction activities did not interfere with daily marina operations. This paper describes the remediation activities performed at the Site to achieve the overall remediation goal, which included: the chemical treatment of soil to stabilize the soil (bind leachable lead), excavation and off-site disposal of impacted soils and the construction of a multi-layer asphalt cap containment system to restrict access to residual PCBs and heavy metals. Additionally, this paper will discuss the applicable environmental regulations governing the remediation. As a measure to minimize the potential for future contamination, this project also included the construction of a boat wash/washwater collection system to prevent future paint chip debris from entering the environment.
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