Impact of seasonal variations in hydrological stresses and spatial variations in geologic conditions on a TCE plume at an industrial complex in Wonju,Korea |
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| Authors: | Jae‐Ha Yang Kang‐Kun Lee T Prabhakar Clement |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151‐742, Korea;2. Department of Civil Engineering, 212 Harbert Engineering Center, Auburn University, AL 36849‐5337, USA |
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| Abstract: | Spatial and temporal variations in a trichloroethylene (TCE) plume at an industrial complex in Wonju, Korea, were examined based on hydrogeological data and seven rounds of groundwater quality data collected over a year. The site has considerable vertical heterogeneities; the top layer of soil is covered by impermeable paving material at several locations, followed by a series of reclaimed or residual soil layers, and with weathered rocks to the crystalline biotite granite at the bottom. Areal heterogeneity in the surface conditions plays an important role in controlling groundwater recharge. The heterogeneity structure is influenced by complex surface conditions paved with asphalt and concrete. Owing to the presence of limited recharge area and concentrated summer precipitation events, the effects of seasonal variations on groundwater hydraulics tend to diminish with distance from the recharge area. This result was established by analysing the influence of the contrasting surface recharge conditions between the near‐source zone and the far zone, and the seasonally concentrated precipitation on the transport patterns of a TCE plume. In addition, variations in the plume's downstream contaminant flux levels were also analysed along a transect line near the source zone. The results show that the general tendency of the TCE plume contaminant concentration and mass discharges were reproducible if we account for seasonal recharge variations and the associated changes in the groundwater level. During recharge events, the TCE concentration variations appear to be influenced by leaching of the residual dense non‐aqueous‐phase liquid (DNAPL) TCE trapped in the unsaturated zone. This result shows that seasonal variations in contaminant plume near the source zone is inevitable at this site, and that these variations indicate the presence of residual DNAPL at or above the water table, at least in some isolated locations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | trichloroethene (TCE) groundwater contamination source characterisation heterogeneity mass discharge seasonal recharge |
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