Investigation of density-dependent gas advection of trichloroethylene: Experiment and a model validation exercise

An experiment was conducted to evaluate whether vapor-density effects are significant in transporting volatile organic compounds (VOCʹs) with high vapor pressure and molecular mass through the subsurface. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was chosen for the investigation because it is a common VOC contaminant with high vapor pressure and molecular mass. For the investigation, a 2-m-long by 1-m-high by 7.5-cm-thick flow cell was constructed with a network of sampling ports. The flow cell was packed with sand, and a water table was established near the lower boundary. Liquid TCE was placed near the upper boundary of the flow cell in a chamber from which vapors could enter and migrate through the sand. TCE concentrations in the gas phase were measured by extracting 25-μl gas samples with an air-tight syringe and analyzing them with a gas chromatograph. The evolution of the TCE gas plume in the sand was investigated by examining plots of TCE concentrations over the domain for specific times and for particular locations as a function of time. To help in this analysis, a numerical model was developed that can predict the simultaneous movements of a gas, a nonaqueous liquid and water in porous media. The model also considers interphase mass transfer by employing the phase equilibrium assumption. The model was tested with one- and two-dimensional analytical solutions of fluid flow before it was used to simulate the experiment. Comparisons between experimental data and simulation results when vapor-density effects are considered were very good. When vapor-density effects were ignored, agreement was poor. These analyses suggest that vapor-density effects should be considered and that density-driven vapor advection may be an important mechanism for moving VOCʹs with high vapor pressures and molecular mass through the subsurface.