Remediation design and water quality assessment at a coastline EP gas plant site by means of finite element groundwater flow numerical modeling

摘要

A 3D density-dependent groundwater flow and transport numerical model was implemented using the finite element code FEFLOW, to assess jointly seawater intrusion and the remediation strategy at a former gas plant site located along the coastline in South Italy. The aim of the remediation project was to contain contaminated groundwater (namely by arsenic and total petroleum hydrocarbons, TPH) movements out of the site, while avoiding seawater intrusion inland. The model demonstrated that installing a groundwater flow physical barrier would actually increase seawater intrusion at the site, and that the best remedial solution would be a coupled pumping-injection barrier. In fact, this remediation strategy would allow for effective containment of contaminated groundwater, while reducing at the same time seawater intrusion into the freshwater aquifer.