Soil & Groundwater Remediation Flashcards
6 cards from real ETC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Soil & Groundwater Remediation flashcards as text
Which remediation technology uses a series of extraction wells to pump contaminated groundwater to the surface for treatment before reinjection or discharge?
Answer: Pump-and-Treat
Pump-and-treat is a common groundwater remediation method that extracts contaminated water, treats it above ground, and either reinjects or discharges the treated water.
What is the primary goal of a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at a CERCLA Superfund site?
Answer: To characterize site contamination and evaluate cleanup alternatives
The RI/FS process characterizes the nature and extent of contamination and evaluates remedial alternatives to support selection of a cleanup remedy.
In soil vapor extraction (SVE), which contaminant property most directly governs how effectively the technology will remove the target compound?
Answer: Henry's Law constant (volatility)
Henry's Law constant describes a compound's tendency to volatilize from soil/water into the vapor phase, making it the key parameter controlling SVE effectiveness.
Which in-situ technology injects air below the water table to volatilize and biodegrade dissolved volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater?
Answer: Air Sparging
Air sparging injects air directly into saturated groundwater to volatilize VOCs and deliver oxygen to stimulate aerobic biodegradation of contaminants.
A permeable reactive barrier (PRB) treats contaminated groundwater by allowing it to passively flow through reactive media. Which material is most commonly used to treat chlorinated solvents?
Answer: Zero-valent iron (ZVI)
Zero-valent iron is the most widely used PRB fill material because it reductively dechlorinates chlorinated solvents like TCE and PCE through abiotic chemical reduction.
What term describes the fraction of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) that becomes physically trapped in soil pores and is essentially immobile?
Answer: Residual saturation
Residual saturation is the NAPL held by capillary forces in soil pore spaces that cannot move under natural gradients and serves as a long-term source of dissolved contamination.