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

Validation of Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis to Document the Biodegradation and Natural Attenuation of RDX

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201208
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paul Hatzinger, Shaw Environmental, Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2012

Designing, Assessing, and Demonstrating Sustainable Bioaugmentation for Treatment of DNAPL Sources in Fractured Bedrock

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201210
Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Schaefer, Shaw Environmental. Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2012

Frequently Asked Questions about Monitored Natural Attenuation in the 21st Century

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201211
Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Newell, GSI Environmental Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2012

Cost-Effective and High-Resolution Subsurface Characterization Using Hydraulic Tomography

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201212
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chin Man Mok, AMEC Geomatrix, Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2012

Bioaugmentation for Aerobic Bioremediation of RDX-Contaminated Groundwater

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201207
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mandy Michalsen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ESTCP Mar 2012

Decision Support System for Matrix Diffusion Modeling

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201126
Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Newell, GSI Environmental Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2011

Demonstration of a Fractured Rock Geophysical Toolbox for Characterization and Monitoring of DNAPL Biodegradation in Fractured Rock Aquifers

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201118
Principal Investigator: Dr. Lee Slater, Rutgers University-Newark
ESTCP Mar 2011

Development of an Expanded, High-Reliability Cost and Performance Database for In Situ Remediation Technologies

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201120
Principal Investigator: Mr. Travis McGuire, Groundwater Services, Inc.
ESTCP Mar 2011

In Situ Biogeochemical Transformation of Chlorinated Solvents

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201124
Principal Investigator: Dr. Patrick Evans, CDM
ESTCP Mar 2011

Development and Validation of a Quantitative Framework and Management Expectation Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation Approaches at Chlorinated Solvent Sites

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201129
Principal Investigator: Ms. Carmen Lebrón, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Service Center
ESTCP Mar 2011

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

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

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, The Research Foundation of SUNY on behalf of University at Buffalo
SERDP Nov 2009

Incorporating Aerobic Processes into Remedies for Large Chlorinated Solvent Plumes

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201026
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Looney, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)
ESTCP Nov 2009

Determining Source Attenuation History to Support Closure by Natural Attenuation

Project Information
Project ID: ER-201032
Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Newell, GSI Environmental Inc.
ESTCP Nov 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

Cooperative Technology Demonstration: Polymer-Enhanced Subsurface Delivery and Distribution of Permanganate

Project Information
Project ID: ER-200912
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michelle Crimi, Clarkson University
ESTCP Apr 2009

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

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

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