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Distributional Patterns of Arsenic Concentrations in Contaminant Plumes Offer Clues to the Source of Arsenic in Groundwater at Landfills
Author(s) -
Harte Philip T.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
remediation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6831
pISSN - 1051-5658
DOI - 10.1002/rem.21378
Subject(s) - arsenic , groundwater , arsenic contamination of groundwater , aquifer , environmental science , contamination , contaminated groundwater , groundwater flow , environmental chemistry , environmental remediation , environmental engineering , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , chemistry , ecology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
The distributional pattern of dissolved arsenic concentrations from landfill plumes can provide clues to the source of arsenic contamination. Under simple idealized conditions, arsenic concentrations along flow paths in aquifers proximal to a landfill will decrease under anthropogenic sources but potentially increase under in situ sources. This paper presents several conceptual distributional patterns of arsenic in groundwater based on the arsenic source under idealized conditions. An example of advanced subsurface mapping of dissolved arsenic with geophysical surveys, chemical monitoring, and redox fingerprinting is presented for a landfill site in New Hampshire with a complex flow pattern. Tools to assist in the mapping of arsenic in groundwater ultimately provide information on the source of contamination. Once an understanding of the arsenic contamination is achieved, appropriate remedial strategies can then be formulated. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*