Investigating Chlorinated Solvents in the Environment

This survey course is designed to give the attendee a familiarity with the most commonly found ground water contaminant in this country, chlorinated solvents.

Specifically, the course will examine the historical emergence of chlorinated solvents and the subsequent decline as a result of the effects on the environment and human health.

The three primary solvents discussed will be tetrachloroethene or PCE, trichloroethene or TCE and trichloroethane or TCA and their respective daughter products.

The behavior of chlorinated solvents in the environment will be examined focusing on the important physical, chemical, biochemical interactions. The importance of source and plume identification and persistence will be discussed. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the physical factors associated with solvent fate and transport in the environment. Source and plume dynamics and their relationships will be detailed and evaluated. Differences between the two will be discussed by examining the specific chemical and physical aspects of both two primary matrices (soil /bedrock and water) and the inherent physical properties of the solvent. Detailed degradation pathways will be identified as a function of anaerobiosis and micro-aerobic conditions.

The role of natural attenuation versus aggressive physical/chemical treatment and the” good and bad “results of each shall be examined. The importance of forensic behavior of solvents will also be discussed in order to identify sources and roles of potentially responsible parties including fingerprinting contaminants ratios and isotopic analysis.

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