Partial Capture of the Source-Recharge Area or the Partial Capture of the Transverse-Lateral Extent of the Plume

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PARTIAL CAPTURE OF THE SOURCE-RECHARGE AREA OR PARTIAL CAPTURE OF THE TRANSVERSE-LATERAL EXTENT OF THE PLUME

By the earthDr!

Eliminating Vapors in Your Home Caused by Seepage into Your Basement of Dissolved Phase Contamination: containing products such as gasoline, fuel oil, MTBE, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, TCE, and PCE by Partial Capture of the Source-Recharge Area or the Transverse-Lateral Extent of the Plume

The splitting of the plume is achieved by re-directing outer ground-water flowpaths that are free of contamination to flush out that portion of the plume of contaminated ground water that is now beneath your home. Plume splitting requires that the width and depth of the capture zone exceed the transverse-lateral extent of the plume.

If the width or the depth of the capture zone is in any way less than the transverse-lateral (width and depth) extent of the plume, then the plume will not be split, but only partially captured as depicted by the figure to the left. When this situation occurs contaminated ground water continues to flow beneath the location of the home depicted in this figure. When the capture zone is larger than the full transverse-lateral extent of the plume, then clean ground-water flowpaths can be directed to flow beneath the home as depicted on the earlier page (use the back button on your browser or go to the table of contents to relocate yourself back to this webpage when you have finished your review). While contamination may still flow under your home, lesser concentrations may now flow beneath your home even though the split of the plume is not effectuated. Mixing of contaminated ground water with the clean outer flowpaths may reduce contaminant concentrations in this water by dilution.

It is not always necessary to split the plume into two portions. Sometimes it is only necessary to deflect the plume, by the pumping of ground water, so as to redirect the clean outer ground-water flowpaths sufficiently

so that it pinches the transverse-lateral extent of the existing plume. In the second figure, it is evident that the ground-water plume must have extended below the depicted home during non-pumping conditions. However, under pumping conditions the plume is sufficiently deflected so that the contaminated ground water now flows around and past the home.

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