ABSTRACT
Surface and near-surface contamination often serve as the source for groundwater contamination. Percolation of rainwater through spill sites quickly carries soluble and semisoluble contaminants away from the point of origin. Contaminants considered “insoluble” above parts per million nevertheless migrate more slowly. The Air Force selected the Air National Guard base in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin as a candidate site for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to test either excavated or in situ soil washing. Contaminated groundwater from the aquifer below the fire training pit, a significant problem, was also characterized in the lab study. The contaminant concentration before soil washing was based on the extracts of soil samples taken adjacent to the test holes. The bench-scale study investigated the use of lime, alum, ferric sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, polymeric electrolytes, and mineral acids. The application of these chemicals was guided by conventions appropriate to wastewater treatment plants.
