GRACOS GROUNDWATER RISK ASSESSMENT AT CONTAMINATED SITES

Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   1/2/2000         Duration: 38 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-1999-00029
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Exposure pathways
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Models
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Receptor: Ecological
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Receptor: Human health
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Receptor: Water
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Risk assessment overview
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Sources
Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Tools and procedures
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Soil and groundwater processes overview
Project objectives:
The overall aim of the GRACOS-project was to deliver groundwater risk assessment guidelines for soil-contaminations with organic and inorganic compounds. 
The procedures to be developed take the form of a scenario approach, as it is intended to be generally applicable to different situations in terms of classes/combination
of pollutants and site-specific conditions, such as climatic conditions, permeability and distance between contamination and groundwater table. Such
a scenario approach will allow the determination a priori whether, under given site conditions (subsurface permeability, distance to groundwater table,
type of material) and contaminant properties (volatile / non-volatile / water soluble etc.), a minor, medium or high risk of groundwater pollution exists.
The validation of these new risk assessment procedures were done 1) in a well controlled field experiment which comprises an emplaced source of a hydrocarbon
mixture consisting of volatile to semi-volatile, (partly) biodegradable compounds, 2) laboratory and field investigations for the quantification of contaminant
transfer rates across the capillary fringe for specific scenarios and 3) column leaching tests for the quantification of the mobile contaminant fraction
in various contaminated soils and waste materials (e.g. slag, bottom ash, construction/recycling materials). To cover as many different site-specific-scenarios
as possible, the project involves numerical modeling for vapor phase contaminant transport in the unsaturated zone and long-term leaching of contaminants
from specific materials.
Project Summary:
Contaminated land in Europe poses a serious problem with respect to soil quality and the risk of spreading of pollutants into other compartments of the environment. 
The major concern at most contaminated sites is the risk of groundwater pollution by organic and inorganic compounds. Since, the remediation of all the contaminated
sites in Europe is economically not feasible, groundwater risk assessment procedures are needed for the the ranking of sites, decision making on further use
and remedial actions. In contrast to existing procedures this proposal concentrates on the development of methodologies for the assessment of the mobile
contaminant fraction in contaminated soil and waste material (i.e. the contaminant fraction which would reach the acquifer). It will allow the determination
of the long-term contaminant release rates and the overall emission of pollutants into the groundwater at contaminated sites.
Achieved Objectives:
Column leaching tests for the quantification of the mobile contaminant fraction in various contaminated soils and waste materials (e.g. slag, bottom ash, 
construction/recycling materials) were performed. A field experiment was conducted in Denmark to monitor all processes, which are relevant for groundwater risk assessment of volatile hydrocarbons such
as vaporisation, transport, diffusion, sorption/desorption, and biodegradation. The biodegradation of volatile organic compounds and the microbial communities in the unsaturated zone during natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbon
vapors were assessed. In terms of modelling of both, vadose and saturated zone, relevant model systems were selected and successfully applied to the complex processes of transport
of contaminants at different scales in the capillary fringe and in the water saturated zone.
Product Descriptions:
A major risk at most contaminated sites is that of groundwater pollution by organic and inorganic compounds. Since complete restoration of all these contaminated 
sites is economically and often technically not feasible, advanced procedures of groundwater risk assessment are needed as innovative tool for the ranking
of sites, decision making on further use, and remediation standards. - A Guideline for Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites is available (Generic). - A Newsletter with results of the 1st International Workshop on Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites is existent. - Modelling results of the performed field experiment at the Værløse field site are available on the website.
Additional Information:

            
Project Resources:

Environmental impact assessment of contaminated materials based on ecotoxicological relevance of mobile/bioavailable fractions.

Geochemical modelling of contaminant leaching, mobility and fixation in soil: Approach and applications.

Biodegradation of volatile organic compounds in the unsaturated zone

An Automated ASE-Method for Aqueous Leaching of PAHs at Elevated Temperatures.

Leaching of PAHs from waste materials and the role of dissolved organic matter.

Column leaching tests for groundwater risk assessment: concept, interpretation of results, and reproducibility

Editorial -Developments in testing for environmental impact assessment-.

Harmonisation of leaching/extraction procedures for sludge, compost, soil and sediment analyses.

Prediction of long term leachate quality and chemical speciation for a predominantly inorganic waste landfill

Charakterisierung von organischen Schadstoffen in Boden und Grundwasser

Application of ecological risk assessment methodology to the management of contaminated sediments

Vapor Phase Transport and Biodegradation of Volatile Fuel Compounds in the Unsaturated Zone: A Large Scale Lysimeter Experiment

Groundwater risk assessment at contaminated sites (GRACOS)

Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites

Groundwater Risk assessment at Contaminated Sites (GRACOS). GRACOS Publication P3

Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites (GRACOS) and Integrated Soil and water Protection (SOWA) GRACOS Publication P4

New Methods for Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites

Biodegradation of fuel vapours in the vadose zone at Airbase Værløse, Denmark

Cost-effective modeling of fuel mixture transport in the vadose zone: Application to a field experiment, Airbase Værløse, Denmark

Modelling transport and natural attenuation of fuel compounds in the vadose zone at the emplaced fuel source experiment, Airbase Værløse, Denmark.

Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites

Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites

Diffusive transport and evaporation to the atmosphere from a NAPL source in the vadose zone.

Compositional evolution of the emplaced source in the field experiment at Airbase Værløse, Denmark

Dissolution of hydrocarbon vapours in porewater in the vadose zone. Field experiment at Værløse Airforce Base, Denmark

Field and laboratory investigations of biodegradation of fuel vapours in the vadose zone

Migration and degradation of fuel vapours in the vadose zone. Field experiment at Værløse airforce Base, Denmark

Application of isotope analysis to evaluate biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the vadose zone

An integrated framework for evaluating leaching in waste management and utilization of secondary materials.

Material investigations to determine the leaching behaviour of PAH at elevated temperatures

The effect of carbonation on the leaching of copper and molybdenum from municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash

Leaching of PAHs from soil, sediment and waste materials in relation to dissolved organic matter characteristics

Development of Leaching Tests for Non-volatile Organic Contaminants

Numerical and analytical modelling of organic column tests: “A Priori“ prediction of release rates based on material properties.

Column Leaching Tests for groundwater risk assessment: concept, interpretation of results, and reproducibility

Impact of inorganic contaminants from contaminated sites using an integrated approach assisted by a database/expert system.

Evaluation of the Source Term in Landfilling of Waste in Relation to an Impact Assessment based on Scenario Calculations and Field Verification

Horizontal standardization and harmonization of leaching test methods for waste, secondary raw materials, construction materials and (contaminated) soil.

Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites GRACOS). 1st International GRACOS Workshop, Tübingen, Germany 21/22.02.2002

Contribution of natural organic matter to copper leaching from municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash

Speciation and characterisation of organic carbon in Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash

Gefahrenbeurteilung, Sanierung und Entwicklung teerkontaminierter Standorte: Zusammenfassung des Wissenstandes und der praktischenn Erfahrungen

Transport and degradation of fuel compounds in the vadose zone: Emplaced source field experiment

Diffusive transport and evaporation to the atmosphere from a NAPL source in the vadose zone

Experimental investigations of oxygenated gasoline dissolution

Volatilization of VOC from multicomponent mixtures in unsaturated porous media

Diffusiver Gastracertest zur Quantifizierung von Schadstoffphasen (Öle, Lösungsmittel) im ungesättigten Untergrund.

Diffusive partitioning tracer test for nonaqeous phase liquid (NAPL) detection in the vadose zone

In situ method to measure effective and sorption-affected gas-phase diffusion coefficients in soils

Biodegradation of fuel vapours in the vadose zone at Airbase Værløse, Denmark.

Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Soil-gas to Groundwater

Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon vapors: laboratory studies on rates and kinetics in unsaturated alluvial sand

Designing an ERA based protocol for the decision-making process in the management of contaminated sediments

Leaching procedure for the availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soil and waste materials

Development of an easy-to-use tool for groundwater risk assessment: An application of geochemical modelling

Modelling speciation and transport in MSWI bottom ash

Reactive Transport Modelling of Contaminants in MSWI Bottom Ash and Contaminated Soils

Modeling Transport of VOC Mixtures Using Composite Constituents

Sickerwasserprognose für organische Schadstoffe: Grundlagen und Stand der Forschung

Sickerwasserprognose: Grundlagen, Möglichkeiten, Grenzen, Modelle

Materialuntersuchung in Säulenversuchen als Teil der Sickerwasserprognose: Konzeption, Reproduzierbarkeit, Kosten und Interpretation der Ergebnisse

Time scales of remediation of complex source zones

Time scales of pollutants dissolution from complex organic mixtures: blobs and pools

A multicriteria approach for environmental impact assessment of contaminated materials.

Ecotoxicological assessment of mobile/bioavailable fractions of contaminated materials.

Assessment of microbial communities in the unsaturated zone during natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the unsaturated soil zone assessment of emission rates into groundwater

Vapor phase transport and biodegradation of volatile fuel compounds in the unsaturated zone: a large scale lysimeter experiment.

Groundwater risk assessment at contaminated sites (GRACOS): Scenario specific modelling.

Cost-effective modelling of fuel mixture transport in the vadose zone: Application to a field experiment, Airbase Værløse, Denmark.

Modeling Multicomponent NAPL Transport in the Unsaturated zone with the Constituent Averaging Technique

A Computationally Cost Effective Approach to Modeling Transport of Multicomponent VOC Mixtures in the Vadose Zone. Validation with Field Data.

Modeling Contaminant Emission Across the Capillary Fringe.

Modeling Multicomponent NAPL Transport with the Constituent Averaging Technique

Gefahrenbeurteilung Grundwasser bei kontaminierten Böden/Materialien/Altlasten: Methoden zur Sickerwasserprognose.

Grundwasser-Gefahrenbeurteilung (Sickerwasserprognose) auf Europäischer Ebene.

PAHs leaching test for solidified waste

Natural Attenuation of Volatile Hydrocarbons in the Unsaturated Zone and Shallow Groundwater Plumes: Scenario-Specific Modeling and Laboratory Experiments

Natural Attenuation of Volatile Hydrocarbons in the Unsaturated Zone and Shallow Groundwater Plumes: Scenario-Specific Modeling and Laboratory Experiments

Modeling attenuation of a volatile organic mixture in the unsaturated zone and tuning with lysimeter data

Modeling Attenuation of Volatile Organic Mixtures in the Unsaturated Zone: Codes and Usage

Biodegradation Effects on the Attenuation of Organic Mixtures in the Unsaturated Zone.

Volatile Contaminant Transport and Fate in the Vadose Zone: Modeling of Multicomponent Mixtures.

Modelling transport and Natural Attenuation of fuel compounds in the vadose zone at the emplaced fuel source experiment, Airbase Værløse, Denmark

Natural Attenuation of volatile hydrocarbons in the unsaturated zone - modelling for the Værløse field site.

Natural Attenuation of volatile hydrocarbons in the unsaturated zone - modelling for the Værløse field site.

Development of decision criteria for the use of natural attenuation at contaminated sites.

Small-volume releases of gasoline in the vadose zone: impact of the additives MTBE and ethanol on groundwater quality.

Natural attenuation of volatile hydrocarbons in the unsaturated soil zone.

Transverse vertical dispersion in groundwater and the capillary fringe.

Volatilization Rates of Organic Compounds in the Unsaturated Zone

Volatilization of VOC from multicomponent mixtures in unsaturated porous media.

Modelling processes controlling metal leaching from contaminated and remediated soils.

Guideline for Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites
Weblink:
http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/gracos/
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Prof Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/07/2003 17:48:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/10/2006 11:47:00