ABSTRACT
The basic elements controlling the overall fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface are the physicochemical and biological properties of the contaminants and the physical structure and geochemical composition of the soil and groundwater in which contaminants reside. Nonreactive or recalcitrant chemicals will move through the subsurface with hydrodynamic groundwater processes and will not be affected by abiotic or biotic transformation processes that may be active. Conversely, the behavior of reactive contaminants will depend on the nature of the subsurface and the potential for biological or chemical processes to facilitate contaminant degradation and sequestration. Accordingly, while reactive chemicals have the potential to be affected during groundwater transport, the contaminant property and appropriate subsurface conditions must exist to transform the contaminant. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of subsurface and contaminant properties that may affect the behavior and partitioning of the contaminants in the subsurface.
