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Where is the Groundwater Contamination Going?
The theme of the 2013 Solinst Symposium was “High Resolution, Depth-Discrete Groundwater Monitoring – Benefits and Importance”. A common topic of discussion with the speakers at the Symposium, was the need for high resolution, depth-discrete data sets in order to better characterize and develop conceptual models for contaminated sites.
The research findings presented by the speakers, showed that multiple levels of depth-discrete data across a site, is required for determining contaminant pathways, flow directions and velocities, etc. Repeated and different types of tests need to be done to obtain the best understanding of a site. Whether it is a fractured rock site dealing with DNAPL transport in groundwater, or another medium such as gas, it is imperative to collect as much data as possible, both spatially and temporally.
It was mentioned multiple times, that it is easy to figure out where the contamination is, and where it has been, but what is difficult, is to determine where the contamination is going. Knowing where the contamination is going is important in order to determine risks to potential receptors, and how to best go about remediating the site.
For more information about the 2013 Solinst Symposium, please visit: http://www.solinst.com/Symposium/Symposium2013/
