Persistent Contamination

Some groundwater contamination remains difficult to remove, residing as DNAPLs or in difficult-to-treat areas such as fractured geologic media and low permeable zones.  SERDP and ESTCP efforts seek to better understand what causes persistent contamination and which methods are most effective in remediating and monitoring such sites.

Active Projects List
Project Title Start Date

A Comparison of Pump-and-Treat, Natural Attenuation, and Enhanced Biodegradation to Remediate Chlorinated Ethene-Contaminated Fractured Rock Aquifers

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1555
Principal Investigator: Dr. Allen Shapiro, U.S. Geological Survey
SERDP Jun 2007

A Practical Approach for Remediation Performance Assessment and Optimization at DNAPL Sites for Early Identification and Correction of Problems Considering Uncertainty

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2310
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jack Parker, The University of Tennessee
SERDP Jan 2013

Advanced Environmental Molecular Diagnostics to Assess, Monitor, and Predict Microbial Activities at Complicated Chlorinated Solvent Sites

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2312
Principal Investigator: Dr. Frank Löffler, University of Tennessee
SERDP Jan 2013

Basic Research Addressing Contaminants in Low Permeability Zones

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1740
Principal Investigator: Dr. Tom Sale, Colorado State University
SERDP Oct 2010

CO2 Radiocarbon Analysis to Quantify Organic Contaminant Degradation, MNA, and Engineered Remediation Approaches

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2338
Principal Investigator: Dr. Thomas Boyd, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
SERDP Jan 2013

Computational and Experimental Investigation of Contaminant Plume Response to DNAPL Source Zone Architecture and Depletion in Porous and Fractured Media

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1610
Principal Investigator: Dr. Edward Sudicky, University of Waterloo
SERDP Jan 2008

Coupled Diffusion and Reaction Processes in Rock Matrices: Impact on Dilute Groundwater Plumes

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1685
Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Schaefer, Shaw Environmental, Inc.
SERDP Jan 2009

Development of Field Methodology to Rapidly Detect Dehalococcoides and Dehalobacter Spp. Genes On-Site

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2309
Principal Investigator: Dr. Alison Cupples, Michigan State University
SERDP Jan 2013

Development of an Integrated Field Test/Modeling Protocol for Efficient In Situ Bioremediation Design and Performance Uncertainty Assessment

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2311
Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Abriola, Tufts University
SERDP Jan 2013

Forecasting Effective Site Characterization and Early Remediation Performance

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2313
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael Kavanaugh, Geosyntec Consultants
SERDP Jan 2013

Impact of Clay-DNAPL Interactions on Transport and Storage of Chlorinated Solvents in Low Permeability Zones

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1737
Principal Investigator: Dr. Avery Demond, University of Michigan
SERDP Nov 2009

Impact of DNAPL Source-Zone Architecture on Contaminant Mass Flux and Plume Evolution in Heterogeneous Porous Media

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1614
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mark Brusseau, University of Arizona
SERDP Mar 2008

Metric Identification and Protocol Development for Characterizing DNAPL Source Zone Architecture and Associated Plume Response

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1612
Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Abriola, Tufts University
SERDP Jan 2008

Practical Assessment and Optimization of Redox-Based Groundwater Remediation Technologies

Project Information
Project ID: ER-2308
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paul Tratnyek, Oregon Health & Science University
SERDP Jan 2013

Predicting DNAPL Source Zone and Plume Response Using Site-Measured Characteristics

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1613
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael Annable, University of Florida
SERDP May 2008

Quantifying the Presence and Activity of Aerobic, Vinyl Chloride-Degrading Microorganisms in Dilute Groundwater Plumes by Using Real-Time PCR

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1683
Principal Investigator: Dr. Timothy Mattes, The University of Iowa
SERDP Jan 2009

Semi-Passive Oxidation-Based Approaches for Control of Large, Dilute Groundwater Plumes of Chlorinated Ethylenes

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1684
Principal Investigator: Dr. Franklin Schwartz, The Ohio State University
SERDP Jan 2009

The Behavior of Compound Specific Isotopes during the Storage of Chlorinated Solvents in Low-Permeability Zones through Diffusion and Sorption

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1739
Principal Investigator: Dr. Orfan Shouakar-Stash, University of Waterloo
SERDP Aug 2009

The Importance of Sorption in Low-Permeability Zones on Chlorinated Solvent Plume Longevity in Sedimentary Aquifers

Project Information
Project ID: ER-1738
Principal Investigator: Dr. Richelle Allen-King, University at Buffalo
SERDP Nov 2009

Assessment of the Natural Attenuation of NAPL Source Zones and Post-Treatment NAPL Source Zone Residuals

Project Information
Project ID: ER-200705
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paul Johnson, Arizona State University
ESTCP Apr 2007