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- Using Plants to Sustain Military Ranges
- Sonar Key to Detecting Underwater UXO
- Monitoring and Mapping Coral Reefs
- EPA-Approved Protocol for Range Characterization
- Robotic Laser Coating Removal System
- MetalMapper
- Understanding cis-DCE and VC Biodegradation
- Eliminating Cr from Medium Caliber Gun Barrels
- Predicting Responses to Landscape Changes
- Applying Statistics and Modeling to UXO Discrimination
- Composites with Low HAP Compounds
- Perchlorate-Free Flares Undergo Qualification Testing
- Recovering Energy from Landfill Gas
- Modeling Underwater UXO Mobility in Reef Environments
- Understanding the Behavioral Ecology of Cetaceans
- Forecasting the Effects of Stressors on At-Risk Species
- Advanced Signal Processing for UXO Discrimination
- Reducing Emissions for Jet Engines of the Future
- Assessing Vapor Intrusion at Chlorinated Solvent Sites
- Passive Sampling of Contaminated Sediments
- Leveraging Advanced Sensor Data to Clean Up UXO
- Source Zone Architecture Key to DNAPL Remediation
- Biopolymers Maintain Training Berms, Prevent Contamination
- Rare-Earth Corrosion Protection Mechanisms
- Cold Spray Technology for Aircraft Component Repair
- Ecological Research Supports Training at Camp Lejeune
- Loss of Permafrost – Impact on DoD Lands in Alaska
- Converting Solar Energy to Electricity and Heat
- ASETSDefense Workshop on Sustainable Surface Engineering
- Forward Operating Bases: Water and Waste Management
- Evaluating Matrix Diffusion Effects on Groundwater
- ES&T Features In Situ Sediment Remediation
- Erosion Resistant Coating Improves Engine Efficiency
- Optimizing Boiler Efficiency Through Combustion Control
- Climate Change Adaptation: Enhanced Decision Making
- Adapting Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps for Cold Climates
- Workshop on Sustainable Surface Engineering Advances
- Ecological Forestry & DoD’s Carbon Footprint
- Munitions Classification in the Hands of Production Firms
- Intelligent and Energy-Efficient LED Street Lighting
- ESTCP Partners with EPA on Watershed Management
- White House Energy Security Blueprint References ESTCP
- Success Classifying Munitions in Wooded Areas
- Evaluating Technology Performance at DNAPL Sites
- ‘Flyer’ Improves OB/OD Air Emissions Measurement
- Identifying Research Needs for Underwater Munitions
- Success Classifying Small Munitions at Camp Butner
- Managing Military Lands in the Southwest
- Partnering to Advance Munitions Classification
- ‘Flyer’ Improves OB/OD Air Emissions Measurement - Preview
- Sonar Identifies Underwater Munitions in Gulf Study
- Protective Coating Improves Jet Engine Fuel Efficiency
- Assessing Pacific Island Watershed Health
- New Insights Into Tracking Contaminants in Bedrock
- ClimaStat Technology Improves HVAC Efficiency
- Innovative Plating Process for Beryllium Alternatives
Source Zone Architecture Key to DNAPL Remediation

Groundwater contamination from chlorinated solvents on military installations is a significant environmental liability for the Department of Defense. Many of the dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones developed decades ago as a result of historical practices and continue to contaminate groundwater today. In order to successfully treat this contamination, it is essential to understand the physical characteristics of the source zones.
Dr. Linda Abriola and colleagues at Tufts University, collaborating with the Air Force Academy, have developed innovative tools that for the first time can provide key information about a source zone’s structure and characteristics, also referred to as the architecture. This work, which combines high-end computational techniques and physical models, can help explain why contamination persists, how long it will persist, and what the best options are for treating it.
Whether a source zone will persist for decades or centuries is believed to be related to the ratio of ganglia to pools of contamination. DNAPL source zones often occur in two different forms in the subsurface: as pools of contamination or as ganglia, thin web-like shapes, that seep into the pores of the subsurface. Knowing the ratio of ganglia to pools will help site managers decide on the most effective treatment to use for a particular contaminated area. The field tools developed by Dr. Abriola and her team provide the means to determine the best treatment approach, thereby reducing the time and resources DoD must spend to remediate this contamination. These tools also have immediate and wide applicability to the remediation of a large number of non-military sites that require remediation of subsurface DNAPL contamination.
For this outstanding work, Dr. Abriola and her team received a 2012 SERDP Project of the Year Award.
Project Overview
Project Team
Tufts University
- Linda M. Abriola
- Eric L. Miller
- Kurt D. Pennell
- C. Andrew Ramsburg
- Natalie L. Cápiro
- Itza Mendoza-Sanchez
- Rhiannon E. Ervin
- Ali Boroumand
- Douglas I. Walker
- Hao Zhang
U.S. Air Force Academy
- John A. Christ
Webinar Series
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Winter 2021 | |
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Energy and Water |
November 2019 | |