Properly delineating, quantifying and remediating petroleum NAPL (non-aqueous phase liquid) in the subsurface is arguably one of the greatest challenges currently facing the Environmental Industry.
Many practitioners can relate to the frustration associated with NAPL monitoring and remediation. Given the nature of NAPL distribution in the subsurface, monitoring wells tend to produce ambiguous thickness data in relation to the mobility, concentration and recoverability of the NAPL.
NAPL distribution is governed by site-specific hydro-geologic conditions as well as species-specific physical and chemical properties, and is further compounded by the dynamics of the release incident. The physics of NAPL movement in the multiphase flow conditions of heterogeneous aquifers lead to complex assemblages of NAPL impacts.
Environmental professionals, who are tasked with properly managing, mitigating and remediating NAPL impacts, know that traditional investigation technologies can be limiting from both a financial and technical viewpoint.
By utilizing in-situ Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), environmental professionals are able to log the vertical distribution of NAPL in the subsurface at the centimeter scale. In-situ LIF provides high-density data on the distribution, type, and relative concentrations of NAPL.
LIF serves as a cost-effective tool in gathering evidence to help remove the uncertainty associated with NAPL contaminated sites. Unlike NAPL present in monitoring wells, LIF detection is a direct representation of the NAPL distribution in-situ. This is a critical leg up in quantifying the risks and deriving a management strategy at your site. LIF is literally and figuratively shining a light on subsurface NAPL, and helping to quantify NAPL in the subsurface.
For more information on SCG’s use of LIF: