An integrated simulation, inference, and optimization method for identifying groundwater remediation strategies at petroleum-contaminated aquifers in western Canada.
This study advances an integrated simulation, inference, and optimization method (ISIOM) for optimizing groundwater remediation systems. SIOM has the advantages of (i) automotive screening of potential explanatory variables (e.g., the pumping rates at various remediation wells), (ii) providing a flexible manner for investigating the linear, interactive, and quadratic effects of operating conditions on the benzene levels, and (iii) mitigating the computational efforts in optimization processes. The method is applied to a petroleum-contaminated site in western Canada for identifying the optimal remediation strategies under a given set of remediation durations and environmental standard levels. To examine the effect of pumping duration on contaminants removing efficiency, 4 duration options are considered including 5, 10, 15, and 20 years, respectively. The results indicate that the pumping duration would have effect on the optimized scheme. It is suggested that the 10-year duration would be more desirable than the 15-year one. The simulation results demonstrate that the peak benzene concentrations would be reduced to satisfy the environmental standard when the optimal remediation strategy is carried out.
He
Li
L
Environmental Systems Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, Sask., Canada S4S 0A2. helix111@uregina.ca
Huang
Guo-he
GH
Zeng
Guang-ming
GM
Lu
Hong-wei
HW
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002170:Canada; D003198:Computer Simulation; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014881:Water Supply
D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical