Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project?
Constructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems. Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? This study evaluates the necessity of impermeable cur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Groundwater Science and Engineering Limited
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/JGSE.2025.9280052 |
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| author | Ming Guo Yun Yang Qian-kun Luo Ying-chun Li Hai-chun Ma Jia-zhong Qian |
| author_facet | Ming Guo Yun Yang Qian-kun Luo Ying-chun Li Hai-chun Ma Jia-zhong Qian |
| author_sort | Ming Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Constructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems. Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? This study evaluates the necessity of impermeable curtains for groundwater contaminant remediation projects. Specifically, it considers remediation efforts based on the Pump and Treat (PAT) technique under various hydrogeological conditions and contaminant properties, comparing the total remediation cost and effectiveness. To further investigate, a multi-objective simulation and optimization model, utilizing the Multi-Objective Fast Harmony Search (MOFHS) algorithm, was employed to identify optimal groundwater remediation system designs that without impermeable curtains. Both a two-dimensional (2-D) hypothetical example and a three-dimensional (3-D) field example were used to assess the necessity of constructing impermeable curtains. The 2-D hypothetical example demonstrated that the installation of impermeable curtain is justified only when the dispersivity (αL) of the contaminant reaches 100 meters. In most cases, particularly at sites with porosity (n) under 0.3, alternative, more cost-effective, and efficient remediation strategies may be available, making impermeable barriers unnecessary. The optimization results of the 3-D field example further corroborate the conclusions derived from the 2-D hypothetical example. These findings provide valuable guidance for more scientifically informed, reasonable, and cost-effective groundwater contaminant remediation projects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94e6a3331f754deca06f0d15006464c8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2305-7068 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Groundwater Science and Engineering Limited |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-94e6a3331f754deca06f0d15006464c82025-08-25T09:25:57ZengGroundwater Science and Engineering LimitedJournal of Groundwater Science and Engineering2305-70682025-09-0113323724910.26599/JGSE.2025.9280052Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project?Ming Guo0Yun Yang1Qian-kun Luo2Ying-chun Li3Hai-chun Ma4Jia-zhong Qian5School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaHuai River Water Resources Commission, Bengbu 233001, Anhui Province, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaPublic-welfare Geological Survey Management Center of Anhui Province & Geological Survey and Environmental Monitoring Center of Anhui Province, Hefei 230091, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaConstructing impermeable curtains to contain contaminant in aquifers is a costly and complex process that can impact the structure integrity of aquifer systems. Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? This study evaluates the necessity of impermeable curtains for groundwater contaminant remediation projects. Specifically, it considers remediation efforts based on the Pump and Treat (PAT) technique under various hydrogeological conditions and contaminant properties, comparing the total remediation cost and effectiveness. To further investigate, a multi-objective simulation and optimization model, utilizing the Multi-Objective Fast Harmony Search (MOFHS) algorithm, was employed to identify optimal groundwater remediation system designs that without impermeable curtains. Both a two-dimensional (2-D) hypothetical example and a three-dimensional (3-D) field example were used to assess the necessity of constructing impermeable curtains. The 2-D hypothetical example demonstrated that the installation of impermeable curtain is justified only when the dispersivity (αL) of the contaminant reaches 100 meters. In most cases, particularly at sites with porosity (n) under 0.3, alternative, more cost-effective, and efficient remediation strategies may be available, making impermeable barriers unnecessary. The optimization results of the 3-D field example further corroborate the conclusions derived from the 2-D hypothetical example. These findings provide valuable guidance for more scientifically informed, reasonable, and cost-effective groundwater contaminant remediation projects.https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/JGSE.2025.9280052groundwater contaminanthydrogeological conditioncontaminant characteristicsimpermeable curtainssimulation and optimizationpat |
| spellingShingle | Ming Guo Yun Yang Qian-kun Luo Ying-chun Li Hai-chun Ma Jia-zhong Qian Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering groundwater contaminant hydrogeological condition contaminant characteristics impermeable curtains simulation and optimization pat |
| title | Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? |
| title_full | Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? |
| title_fullStr | Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? |
| title_short | Are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project? |
| title_sort | are impermeable curtains necessary for a groundwater contaminant remediation project |
| topic | groundwater contaminant hydrogeological condition contaminant characteristics impermeable curtains simulation and optimization pat |
| url | https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/JGSE.2025.9280052 |
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