Induced polarization monitoring of in-situ chemical oxidation for quantification of contaminant consumption.

Abstract

Dynamic monitoring of in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) of LNAPLs in groundwater is the foundation for evaluating remediation effectiveness. In this study, spectral (SIP) and time-domain induced polarization (TDIP) measurements are conducted in laboratory columns and sandboxes to monitor the ISCO of LNAPL for characterizing oxidant transport and quantifying contaminant consumption under different injection strategies. To support the interpretation, this was combined with total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), hydrochemistry and computed tomography (CT) measurements. Experiments were performed using two media, and the monitoring results showed similar variations in key parameters. The electrical resistivity, chargeability and TPH decreased significantly during ISCO remediation, while the hydrochemical parameters showed an increasing trend. Specifically, IP variations before and after injection revealed that more oxidant remained in the source area using a multiple-injection strategy compared to a single-injection strategy. The effect of contaminant consumption under well-controlled conditions on electrical resistivity was <3 % and the effect on chargeability was <8 %. In conditions with oxidant migration, the effect of oxidant on the resistivity and chargeability was similar at ∼89 % in the source area, whereas the oxidant had a greater effect on the resistivity (>58 %) than the chargeability (<40 %) outside the source area. Based on the experimental results, a conceptual model for the IP response during ISCO remediation is proposed and we delineate the pore structural characteristics of porous media based on the conceptual model. Oxidant injection develops a high conductivity environment and causes a decrease in LNAPLs content and number of interfaces, leading to the suppression of the IP response. In conclusion, IP measurement in combination with supporting information clearly enables the characterization of the ISCO remediation of LNAPLs in groundwater and facilitates the pore structure characterization of porous media based on the IP conceptual model.