Related Experiment Videos
Identifying sources of groundwater pollution using trace element signatures
1Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Biological Trace Element Research
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Marker trace elements effectively identify groundwater pollution sources. This study used instrumental neutron activation analysis to pinpoint contamination from power plants and a coal-tar site, revealing a hazardous waste leak.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Hydrogeology
Background:
- Groundwater pollution poses significant environmental risks.
- Identifying pollution sources is crucial for effective remediation strategies.
- Trace elements are potential indicators of contaminant origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply a receptor modeling approach for groundwater pollution source identification.
- To assess the effectiveness of marker trace elements in source apportionment.
- To investigate groundwater contamination at power plant and coal-tar deposit sites.
Main Methods:
- Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was employed.
- Analysis of groundwater and source materials from multiple industrial sites.
- Receptor modeling was utilized for trace element data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Trace element patterns successfully identified pollution sources.
- A hazardous waste leak from surface impoundments was detected at an oil-fired power plant.
- The spatial distribution of groundwater contamination at a coal-tar deposit site was determined.
Conclusions:
- Receptor modeling with marker trace elements is a viable method for groundwater pollution studies.
- INAA is effective for analyzing trace elements in environmental samples.
- This approach aids in understanding and managing groundwater contamination events.