AR 06-04
Impact of New Diesel Fuels Used in Port Operations on Subsurface Quality
Antonella Sciortino
Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840
Phone: (562) 985-5119
Fax: (562) 985-2380
Email: asciorti@csulb.edu
Project Objectives:
The purpose of this project is to quantify how the release of a potential new diesel fuel - diesohol in this case, but the results of this study may also be useful for other reformulated diesel fuels - might affect the movement and fate of contaminants in the aqueous phase of the subsurface. METRANS has an interest in objectively evaluating and managing potential adverse effects of (candidate) diesel fuels to meet the transportation needs such those at the port of Los Angeles - Long Beach. Groundwater represents a significant source of drinking water in Southern California. Restoring contaminated groundwater to EPA standards could be difficult and costly. In this project, software will be developed to model subsurface flow that accounts for the effect of surfactants (ethanol and other fuel additives) on flow properties, and the dissolution and degradation of diesel components and pre-existing organic contaminants. The distribution of aqueous organics will be quantified for scenarios involving spillage at the soil surface, release from an underground storage tank, and release at a site previously contaminated with organics.
Tasks:
1. Literature review, outline of numerical and analytical models, specification of parameters.
2. Computer model for unsaturated flow
3. Analytical model for saturated flow
4. Simulation of effect on hydraulic properties in the vadose zone
5. Simulation of dissolution and degradation effects in the saturated zone
6. Simulation of mass transfer from existing contaminant site
Milestones/Dates:
7/1/06 through 6/30/07
Total Budget:
$40,000
Student Involvement:
Student Assistants: 306 hours at $15/hr
