GRACOS- Groundwater Risk Assesment at Contaminated Sites

Contaminated land in Europe poses a serious problem with respect to soil quality and the risk of spreading of pollutants into other compartments of the environment. The major concern at most contaminated sites is the risk of groundwater pollution by organic and inorganic compounds. Since, the remediation of all of the contaminated sites in Europe is economically not feasible, groundwater risk assessment procedures are needed for the ranking of sites, decision making on further use and remedial actions. In contrast to existing procedures this project concentrates on the development of methodologies for the assessment of the mobile contaminant fraction in contaminated soil and waste material. (i.e. the contaminant fraction which would reach the aquifer). It will allow the determination of the long-term contaminant release rates and the overall emission of pollutants into the groundwater at contaminated sites. The most important innovations expected will be more harmonized and integrated guidelines for groundwater risk assessment in Europe and beyond.
At DTU a well controlled field experiment has been carried out. The experiment comprises an emplaced source of a hydrocarbon mixture consisting of volatile to semi-volatile, (partly) biodegradable compounds.
The experiment is finalized and preparation of journal papers is on-going.