A numerical investigation into factors affecting gas and aqueous phase plumes in the subsurface

摘要

An investigation into the fate and transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the subsurface requires the consideration of contaminant mass in both the aqueous and soil gas phases. As a result of water/gas phase partitioning, contaminated soil gas can act as a source of ground water pollution. Conversely, soil gas can be contaminated by partitioning from underlying ground water VOC plumes. This soil gas and aqueous phase interaction has motivated the popularity of soil gas sampling technology as a method of characterizing ground water VOC contamination. A finite-element-based numerical model was developed to accurately simulate the interaction between the soil gas phase and the aqueous phase. This interaction is complicated since the saturation of the aqueous phase varies dramatically across the capillary fringe.