Steady State DNAPL Dissolution in Three-Dimensional Fractured Sandstone Network Experiments

Abstract

The distribution of residual dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) in the subsurface plays a critical role in the DNAPL dissolution kinetics. However, measuring residual DNAPL at the field scale in fractured bedrock settings is generally impractical. This research uses a three-dimensional (3D), bench-scale, fractured-rock network comprised of low-porosity sandstone to evaluate the dissolution kinetics of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) DNAPL at residual saturation during ambient groundwater conditions. To our knowledge, this work presents the first experiments to investigate DNAPL dissolution in 3D bench-scale fractured systems. DNAPL dissolution in the relatively uniform fracture network was evaluated and described using an effective parameter, the bulk mass transfer coefficient (