TY - JOUR

T1 - Permeable reactive barrier technologies for groundwater remediation in Germany: Recent progress and new developments

AU - Burmeier, Harald

AU - Rosenau, Diana

AU - Birke, Volker

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - In Germany, nine pioneering permeable reactive barriers (PRB) for passive in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater have been erected over the last 3-4 years, e.g., in Bernau (built 2001), Bitterfeld (1999), Denkendorf (2000), Edenkoben (1998, 2001), Karlsruhe (2000), Oberursel (2002), Reichenbach (2000), Rheine (1998) and Tübingen (1998), all revealing interesting design and engineering features. At the Edenkoben site, one can find one of today's probably the largest funnel-and-gate (F&G) systems (appr. 450 m long, equipped with six gates). This contribution provides an introduction to German PRB projects focusing on design and engineering features as well as some first major outcomes regarding the dedradation efficiency and long-term performance, where available. It is shown that F&G and related systems prevail, predominantly equipped with specially positioned or designed funnels and/or gates, e.g., relatively flat gates installed closely below ground level, or reactors receiving passively or even actively diverted/lifted groundwater. Different zerovalent iron (ZVI) types or activated carbon are the exclusively applied reactive materials in German PRBs to treat chlorinated volatile organic carbons (cVOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), though a biological treatment zone to degrade PAHs is planned to be set up at Offenbach, and different alternative innovative materials are currently tested in a semi-technical scope at Bitterfeld and elsewhere.

AB - In Germany, nine pioneering permeable reactive barriers (PRB) for passive in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater have been erected over the last 3-4 years, e.g., in Bernau (built 2001), Bitterfeld (1999), Denkendorf (2000), Edenkoben (1998, 2001), Karlsruhe (2000), Oberursel (2002), Reichenbach (2000), Rheine (1998) and Tübingen (1998), all revealing interesting design and engineering features. At the Edenkoben site, one can find one of today's probably the largest funnel-and-gate (F&G) systems (appr. 450 m long, equipped with six gates). This contribution provides an introduction to German PRB projects focusing on design and engineering features as well as some first major outcomes regarding the dedradation efficiency and long-term performance, where available. It is shown that F&G and related systems prevail, predominantly equipped with specially positioned or designed funnels and/or gates, e.g., relatively flat gates installed closely below ground level, or reactors receiving passively or even actively diverted/lifted groundwater. Different zerovalent iron (ZVI) types or activated carbon are the exclusively applied reactive materials in German PRBs to treat chlorinated volatile organic carbons (cVOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), though a biological treatment zone to degrade PAHs is planned to be set up at Offenbach, and different alternative innovative materials are currently tested in a semi-technical scope at Bitterfeld and elsewhere.

KW - Environmental planning

KW - Cleanup

KW - Groundwater

KW - In situ

KW - Passive

KW - Permeable reactive barrier

KW - PRB

KW - Remediation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0038646729&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 12

SP - 623

EP - 628

JO - Fresenius Environmental Bulletin

JF - Fresenius Environmental Bulletin

SN - 1018-4619

IS - 6

ER -