Dissolution of a well-defined trichloroethylene pool in saturated porous media: experimental results and model simulations

An experimental mass transfer correlation was developed for trichloroethylene (TCE) pools dissolving in water-saturated porous media. A three-dimensional, bench-scale model aquifer previously designed by Chrysikopoulos et al. (Water Resour. Res. 36(7) (2000) 1687) was employed for collection of the experimental dissolution data. The unique aspect of the model aquifer design is the formation of a well-defined, circular TCE pool at the bottom of the model aquifer. Steady-state dissolved TCE concentrations at specific downstream locations within the aquifer were collected for each of the seven interstitial velocities considered in this study. For each interstitial velocity, a corresponding time invariant overall mass transfer coefficient was determined by fitting the experimental data to an analytical solution applicable to nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) pools (Water Resour. Res. 31(4) (1995) 1137). Subsequently, a correlation relating the time invariant overall Sherwood number to appropriate overall Peclet numbers was developed. Relatively good agreement between the newly developed correlation and experimental data was observed.