ISCO Short Course

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) involves the subsurface delivery of chemical oxidants to destroy organic chemicals (e.g., chlorinated organic solvents, fuels) and to remediate a site to a risk-based cleanup goal. ISCO can be implemented alone to treat a contaminant source zone or an associated groundwater plume, or used in combination with other remedial technologies. Several ISCO oxidants are available along with various subsurface delivery options. Effective site-specific ISCO engineering requires a knowledge base and tools to resolve key issues such as amenability of target contaminants to oxidative degradation; ISCO effectiveness in destroying nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPL); optimal oxidant loading for a particular subsurface setting; managing unproductive oxidant depletion; mitigation of potential adverse effects; coupling of ISCO with other remediation technologies; length of operation to achieve cleanup goals; and methods for process monitoring and performance assurance.

This short course presented in December 2010 at the SERDP and ESTCP Symposium highlights a Technology Practices Manual developed with ESTCP support to enhance the site-specific engineering of ISCO for remediation of contaminated groundwater and help ensure more predictable, cost-effective performance. The short course begins by providing an overview of ISCO through an analysis of more than 200 field applications as documented in the scientific literature, and as developed through a technology practices workshop. Guidance and decision support tools are then shared regarding screening level decisions on the applicability of ISCO to various contaminants and site conditions, conceptual design processes, detailed design considerations, and implementation and performance monitoring. A Frequently Asked Questions guide is also presented and used during the short course to convey the ISCO guidance and tools available.

The material in its entirety is covered in the PDF file and handout. The original training was recorded as a series of Adobe Flash videos, as shown below. Since browsers no longer support Flash, this information is provided solely for reference. To request a copy of the Technology Practices Manual CD, please e-mail er@serdp-estcp.org.

Principles and Practices of In Situ Chemical Oxidation

Module 1

Introduction and Overview(9:43 min)
Presented by Dr. Marvin Unger, HydroGeoLogic, Inc.

Module 2

ISCO Principles and Practices(32:26 min)
Presented by Dr. Robert Siegrist, Colorado School of Mines.

Module 3

Overview of ISCO e-TPM: Protocol Component  Flow Diagrams and Key Tools(14:10 min)
Presented by Dr. Thomas Simpkin, CH2M Hill, Inc.

Module 4

ISCO Screening: Scenarios, Oxidant Selection, & Outcomes vs. Expectations(21:16 min)
Presented by Dr. Michelle Crimi, Clarkson University

Module 5

ISCO Conceptual Design: Scenarios, Oxidant Selection, & Outcomes vs. Expectations(7:08 min)
Presented by Dr. Thomas Simpkin, CH2M Hill, Inc.

Module 6

CDISCO: Detail and Demonstration of Design Tool(24:53 min)
Presented by Dr. Robert Borden, North Carolina State University