RATE LIMITED DIFFUSION AND DISSOLUTION OF MULTICOMPONENT NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS (NAPLs) AND EFFECTS ON MASS DISCHARGE IN GROUNDWATER

Abstract:

Remediation efforts and contaminant transport predictions generally neglect the complicated dissolution and transport behavior associated with multicomponent NAPL (Non-aqueous phase liquid) sources. Therefore, it is important to understand the diffusion and dissolution processes occurring in these multicomponent systems as a function of mole fraction, molecular similarity/dissimilarity, hydraulic, or nonideal factors. A series of laboratory scale NAPL-aqueous phase dissolution experiments were conducted to assess dissolution and intra-NAPL diffusion as a function of multicomponent NAPL composition (i.e. mole fraction) for both trichloroethene and toluene. These target compounds were selected as representative contaminants as they are commonly components of NAPL mixtures and they define both classes of NAPL (dense-DNAPL and light-LNAPL). Predetermined volumes of target NAPL were mixed with an insoluble n-hexadecane NAPL to create mixtures that vary by NAPL composition. The ideality of resulting target compound dissolution was evaluated by quantifying NAPL-phase activity coefficient through Raoult’s Law analysis. The results show that dissolution from the NAPL mixtures behave ideally for mole fractions above 0.2. As the target compound fraction of the NAPL mixture get smaller, the dissolution behavior becomes increasingly more nonideal (i.e. greater NAPL-phase activity coefficients). Overall, the time-series batch experiments show that dissolution rates were consistent for various mole fraction ratios, indicating that intra-NAPL diffusion is not the rate-limiting control over aqueous concentrations or is not significantly controlled by NAPL composition-dependent factors. The results of this work will improve transport predictions, remediation design, and risk assessments especially for sites contaminated by complex NAPL mixtures.