Mapping Contaminant Distribution and Transport Pathways

The Basics

Generally, it is far too expensive to install all the wells you need to adequately characterize a site. Deciding where to place monitoring wells or remediation injection borings to optimize results is extremely difficult. Using sparse, incomplete information results in a drilling blind approach, often spanning years or even decades.

How many times have you been involved with a project where the Conceptual Site Model was thought to be well understood and, after implementing a remedy, you find the site is not cleaning up as predicted? You learn that the contaminant transport pathways are ill-defined. Eventually, you discover the source zone is far more complicated than anticipated. In fact, there may be multiple sources.

Fortunately, properly applying subsurface imaging technologies provides immensely useful information, which can direct your contaminant delineation or remediation efforts, typically resulting in substantial cost savings over the course of the project. Surface geophysics has been around for over 100 years; however, over the last five years there have been vast improvements in sensitivity and resolution.

There are similarities in approach when applying geophysical and medical imaging tools. In the 21st century a surgeon would never perform surgery, an expensive and invasive procedure, prior to scanning the body area requiring treatment. Additionally, the physician would choose the proper imaging technology, say X-rays for bones or MRI for soft tissues.

Applying subsurface imaging technologies is quite similar. You can get far more information at a far lower cost by scanning the subsurface before using invasive and costly procedures, such as drilling. As there are numerous surface geophysics tools available (e.g., electrical resistivity imaging, seismic, ground penetrating radar, etc.), you should select a suitable technology for your site specific goals and objectives.

The Companies Dajak Represents

Willowstick Technologies provides a unique imaging technology called AquaTrack™ that allows you to map preferential groundwater flow pathways. Identifying where contaminant transport occurs can help inform decisions on the placement of remedial systems or reagents, potentially dramatically reducing costs.

Using intellectual property developed at Oklahoma State University, Aestus provides a proprietary, subsurface imaging technology called GeoTrax Survey™. GeoTrax offers improved resolution and sensitivity compared to conventional electrical resistivity imaging technologies, enabling you to better delineate contaminant distribution with significantly higher data density. Integrating historical site with the enhanced data sets can drastically reduce drilling costs and improve remedial outcomes.

Benefits of these technologies include:

Typical applications include:

Links

www.aestusllc.com
www.willowstick.com