The Characteristics of Groundwater and a Field Test for Thermal Insulation of Landfarming of Petroleum Contaminated Soil in Winter Season

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to identify the characteristics of groundwater in the petroleum contaminated site and to evaluate the applicability of house-type landfarm facilities heated with briquette stoves in winter season. The six monitoring wells were installed at the site where pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature were all measured. Also groundwater contaminants, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and total petroleum hydrocarbon, were analyzed twice. House-type two landfarm facilities (12 m × 40 m × 4.8 m) each installed with four briquette stoves were constructed. During four rounds treatment process, VOCs, moisture, temperature were monitored and soil contaminants were analyzed. The pH was 6.37 and considered subacid and DO was measured to be 3.12 mg/L. The temperature of groundwater was measured to be 9.48 o C. The groundwater contaminants were detected only in the monitoring wells within the contaminated area or close to it showing that the groundwater contaminated area was similar to the soil contaminated area. During the landfarm process, 73.3% of VOCs concentration in interior gas was decreased and moisture was lowered from 17.7% to 13.4%. In the morning, at 8:00 am, the temperature was decreased showing soil (5.5 o C) > interior (4.8 o C) > exterior (3.5 o C). In the afternoon, at 2:00 pm, the temperature was soil (8.6 o C) < interior (9.9 o C) < exterior (11.5 o C) with solar radiation. The temperature difference between interior and exterior was 0.7 o C in the morning, but it was 1.6 o C in the afternoon. A total of 130 days were taken for four round landfarm processes. Each process was completed within 33 days showing 80% of cleanup efficiency (1 st order dissipation rate(k) = 0.1771).