• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.99-110
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• 2020

It is a global trend to consider contaminated low-permeability zones as one of the primary management targets for the remediation of DNAPL contaminated sites. In addition, studies on the persistence caused by back diffusion of DNAPLs from low-permeability zones have been actively conducted worldwide. On the other hand, the studies for domestic groundwater contamination with the low-permeability zones are insufficient. Therefore, this study introduces the forward and back diffusions of DNAPL through low-permeability zones and suggests the importance of them by reviewing representative previous studies, especially on back diffusion and plume persistence. We proposed six diffusion scenarios and analytical solutions based on various boundary conditions of low-permeability zones. FI (forward diffusion into infinite domain) and BI (back diffusion form infinite domain) scenarios illustrate forward and back diffusion in which the depths of a low-permeability layer are assumed to be infinite. FFN (forward diffusion into finite domain with no flux boundary) and BFN (back diffusion from finite domain with no flux boundary) scenarios describe forward and back diffusion for a finite domain of a low-permeability layer with no flux boundary at the bottom. When the bottom of a low-permeability layer is considered as flux boundary, forward and back diffusion scenarios correspond to FFF (forward diffusion into finite domain with flux boundary) and BFF (back diffusion from finite domain with flux boundary). The scenarios and analytical solutions in this study may contribute to the determination of an efficient remediation method based on site characteristics such as a thickness of low-permeability zones or duration of contamination exposure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2020

One-dimensional analytical solutions were used for forward and back diffusion of trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in a single system with high- and low-permeability layers. Concentration profiles in a low-permeability layer, diffusive fluxes at the interface between the high- and low-permeability layers, and contaminant persistence in the high-permeability layer due to back diffusion were simulated with a comparison of semi-infinite and finite analytical solutions. In order to validate the analytical solutions used in this study, the results of one-dimensional analytical solutions developed by Yang et al. (2015) were compared with Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE). When compared with Yang et al. (2015), the analytical solutions used in this study showed good agreements (NSE = 0.99). When compared with semi-infinite analytical solutions, TCE and PCE concentration profiles in the low-permeability layer, the diffusive fluxes, and the contaminant tailings of the high-permeability layer were underestimated. In order to determine the appropriate analytical solutions based on the effective diffusion coefficient, the thickness of the low-permeability layer, and the diffusion time in the TCE and PCE contaminated site, a term of dimensionless diffusion length (Z_d) was used. If the Z_d is less than 0.7, the semi-infinite solutions can be used to simulate accurate concentration profiles in low-permeability layers. If the Z_d is greater than 0.7, the reliability of simulations may be improved by using the finite solutions.