Determination of solute transport parameters for remediation of hydrocarbons from ground water in Antarctica

Abstract

There are many contaminated sites in Antarctica as a result of accidents or poor waste management. A significant proportion of the pollution is from oil and its derivatives and heavy metals. Although it's a common perception that hydrocarbon spills in frozen grounds are immobile, fuel components have been shown to be highly mobile in soils and sediments with low organic contents specifically during the summer snow melting season. The low temperature and low nutrient soils in cold regions make the natural attenuation rates much slower as compared to temperate climates. Therefore, more active remediation options are often sought for such sensitive areas. Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) are o..