• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 1997

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of Pumping-and-Treatment system (PTS) for remediation of the saturated zones contaminated with NAPLs. A simulation is carried out for the removal of DNAPLs (denser-than-water non-aqueous phase liquids) and LNAPLS (lighter-than-water non-aqueous phase liquids) distributing at and below the water table. In the study, LNAPL and DNAPL are assumed to be n-hexane and 1,1-dichloroacetone, respectively. The model system studied consists of four heterogeneous soil layers with different permeabilities. Groundwater flows through the bottom layer and a pumping well is located under the initial water table. The time-driven deformation of the water table and removal efficiency of contaminants are estimated after vacuum application to the inlet of the well. In the calculation, FVM (Finite Volumetric Method) with SIMPLEC algorithm is applied. Results show that removal efficiencies of both DNAPL and LNAPL are negligible for the first 5 days after the PTS operation. However, when the cone-shape water table is formed around the inlet of the pumping well, the rapid removal rate is obtained since NAPLs migrate rapidly through the curvature of the water table. The removal efficiency of DNAPL is estimated to be higher than that of LNAPL due to the gravity. The results also show that the fluctuation or cone-shaped depression of the water table enhances the removal efficiency of NAPLs in saturated zones. The simulation results could provide a basis of the PTS design for the removal of NAPLs in saturated zones.