Michael J. Gefell and Deviyani Gurung
Anchor QEA, LLC

Equilibrium partitioning simulations can be used to estimate the time required to deplete the most soluble components from complex NAPLs that contain a significant insoluble fraction.

Non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) dissolution can create persistent plumes of dissolved NAPL components in groundwater. Dissolution of multicomponent NAPLs is complex, and numerical models that explicitly simulate it at a site scale are not widely available. This study introduces an equilibrium partitioning method to simulate, as a first approximation, the time required to dissolve the most soluble chemical components from a multicomponent NAPL that contains a significant fraction of relatively insoluble mass. The effective distribution coefficient that describes depletion of a specific soluble compound from NAPL is calculated based on the NAPL and soil properties.

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