Identification and Characterization Methods for Reactive Minerals Responsible for Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Organic Compounds in Ground Water

ii Notice The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development funded portions of the research described here. Mention of trade names and commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. All research projects making conclusions and recommendations based on environmentally related measurements and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency are required to participate in the Agency Quality Assurance Program. This project was conducted under a Quality Assurance Project Plan for Task 3674 and 19421. Work performed by U.S. EPA employees or by the U.S. EPA on-site analytical contractor followed procedures specified in these plans without exception. Information on the plans and documentation of the quality assurance activities and results are available from Cherri Adair or John Wilson. iii The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged by Congress with protecting the Nation's land, air, and water resources. Under a mandate of national environmental laws, the Agency strives to formulate and implement actions leading to a compatible balance between human activities and the ability of natural systems to support and nurture life. To meet this mandate, EPA's research program is providing data and technical support for solving environmental problems today and building a science knowledge base necessary to manage our ecological resources wisely, understand how pollutants affect our health, and prevent or reduce environmental risks in the future. The National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) is the Agency's center for investigation of technological and management approaches for preventing and reducing risks from pollution that threatens human health and the environment. The focus of the Laboratory's research program is on methods and their cost-effectiveness for prevention and control of pollution to air, land, water, and subsurface resources; protection of water quality in public water systems; remediation of contaminated sites, sediments and ground water; prevention and control of indoor air pollution; and restoration of ecosystems. NRMRL collaborates with both public and private sector partners to foster technologies that reduce the cost of compliance and to anticipate emerging problems. NRMRL's research provides solutions to environmental problems by: developing and promoting technologies that protect and improve the environment; advancing scientific and engineering information to support regulatory and policy decisions; and providing the technical support and information transfer to ensure implementation of environmental regulations and strategies at the national, state, and community levels. Monitored Natural Attenuation is widely used by U.S. EPA to manage risk associated with hazardous organic contaminants …