Using Tracer Tests to Assess Natural Attenuation of Contaminants along a Channelized Coastal Plain Stream

Research Article| April 01, 2005 Using Tracer Tests to Assess Natural Attenuation of Contaminants along a Channelized Coastal Plain Stream Abhijit Mukherjee; Abhijit Mukherjee 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 101 Slone Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0053 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alan E. Fryar; Alan E. Fryar 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 101 Slone Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0053 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Danita M. LaSage Danita M. LaSage 2Department of Earth Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, 103 Roark Building, Richmond, KY 40475-3102 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Abhijit Mukherjee 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 101 Slone Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0053 Alan E. Fryar 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 101 Slone Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0053 Danita M. LaSage 2Department of Earth Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, 103 Roark Building, Richmond, KY 40475-3102 Publisher: Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1558-9161 Print ISSN: 1078-7275 © 2005 Association of Engineering Geologists Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (2005) 11 (4): 371–382. https://doi.org/10.2113/11.4.371 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Abhijit Mukherjee, Alan E. Fryar, Danita M. LaSage; Using Tracer Tests to Assess Natural Attenuation of Contaminants along a Channelized Coastal Plain Stream. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 2005;; 11 (4): 371–382. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/11.4.371 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract Tracer tests have been widely used in studies of solute transport, gas exchange, and nutrient cycling in streams. However, the use of tracer tests to assess natural attenuation of ground-water-derived contaminants in streams, particularly from point sources, has been limited. We used tracer tests in conjunction with stream gauging and contaminant analyses to study the fate of trichloroethene (TCE) and technetium-99 (99Tc), which seep from industrial contaminant plumes into a channelized, first-order stream in the Coastal Plain of western Kentucky. Six tests were conducted over a 20-month period along a 300-m reach downstream of contaminated springs. Bromide, rhodamine WT, and nitrate were introduced as slug tracers to assess dilution, sorption, and reduction, respectively. Propane was added as a continuous, volatile tracer. Tracer transport was modeled as one-dimensional, with transient storage and first-order mass loss. Results indicate that (1) TCE is attenuated by volatilization; (2) TCE sorption, TCE reduction, and 99Tc reduction are negligible or absent; and (3) dilution is negligible along the study reach. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.