In Situ Thermal Technologies for Site Remediation

This one-volume work, edited by a respected researcher in the field, presents information on a variety of waste disposal practices in four sections. Part One discusses general principles; Part Two discusses disposal facilities; Part Three discusses remediation; and Part Four discusses monitoring. Approximately one-half of the book focuses on landfill disposal facilities, whereas the other half concentrates on remediation technologies. The information presented gives interested readers an overview of the included topics in a form that is easy to read and understand. The discussion of general principles is well written and similar to what would be found in most texts on the subject of flow and transport in subsurface environments. It is assumed that water is the fluid of interest and that the contaminants are dissolved in the water. Transformations are assumed to follow first-order kinetics. Part Two's discussion on disposal facilities provides a good introduction to the terminology used in the industry and describes the advantages and disadvantages of different commercial materials to be used as barriers to flow. Also included is a discussion of transformations that can be expected in landfills and the impact of these transformations on the stability of the system. The section on remediation focuses on current practice with little information on the technologies that are on the horizon. Current practice for remediation is discouraging and is little more than an interim holding pattern until some of the more innovative technologies are developed. Current practices are effective in limiting the spread of contamination and are effective where contaminants are fully dissolved in the aqueous phase. The section on monitoring is divided into the saturated environment and unsaturated environment. The focus is on monitoring what is in the water. Discussions of monitoring the vapor solids of other nonaqueous phase liquids are not included. The book is not appropriate for use as a textbook on waste disposal practice, because there is not sufficient information to perform design activities. The book is best used as a survey of common geotechnical practice for waste disposal.