Course Catalogue.

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the phased structure of Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), Risk Assessment (RA) and Remediation requirements
• Support your projects using the necessary Environmental Chemistry knowledge
• Understand the basics of fate and transport of contaminants in porous media
• Construct a Conceptual Site Model and devise a Sampling and Analysis Plan
• Evaluate and select appropriate remediation technologies for contaminated soil and groundwater

Description
The environmental condition of properties is an important issue in redevelopment, financing, and transactions. All stakeholders must be aware of potential environmental liabilities. This detailed three-day course provides information on approaches and methodologies based on Environmental Chemistry required for assessing and remedying contaminated soil and groundwater through the phased structure of ESA, RA, and remediation.

Applicable Environmental Chemistry concepts and principles, along with fundamentals of soil and groundwater properties and fate and transport of contaminants in porous media, will be provided to be employed in the standard procedures outlined in phased structured ESA, including sampling and analysis, Human Health RA and exposure control. Conventional and innovative soil and groundwater remediation methods will be discussed, along with cleanup requirements.

Case examples will be introduced and worked on by participants as the topics are covered.

Who Should Attend
Environmental Engineers and Technologists • Project Managers • Regulatory personnel (federal, provincial and municipal) • Geologists • Consultants and Soil Scientists

Course Syllabus

DAY I - Environmental Chemistry of Contaminants, Soil and Groundwater

Welcome, Introduction, Course Preview, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method.

Environmental Chemistry Basics

• Overview of Contaminants
• Concept of Source-Pathway-Receptor
• Soil and groundwater as transport and exposure pathways
• Physical Reactions (adsorption, volatilization, cation exchange)
• Chemical reactions (Oxidation, Precipitation)
• Biological Reactions
• Clay and organic matter in the soil

Toxic Metals

• Toxic properties of heavy metals
• Sorption/desorption of heavy metals in subsurface
• Chemical precipitation
• Bioaccumulation and biomagnifications of metals

Organic contaminants

• Petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents
• Sorption
• Biodegradation
• Volatilization
• Light and Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPL/DNAPLS)

Soil Environment

• Physical properties of soil
• Hydraulic properties of soil/porous media
• Overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions of contaminants in porous media

Groundwater

• Overview of hydrogeology
• Types of aquifers
• Unsaturated zone; hydraulic properties
• Aquifer properties and discharge rates
• Mapping groundwater flow

Contaminant Fate and Transport in Subsurface Environment

• Advection, diffusion and dispersion
• Reactions and decay
• Retardation
• Contaminant transport in vadose zone
• Contaminant transport in the saturated zone
• Introduction to models and software
• Example simplified models

Question and Answer Session

DAY II - Soil and Groundwater Remediation Technologies

Conceptual Site Models

• Source-Pathway-Receptor concept
• Contaminant Source characterization
• Transport and exposure pathways
• Receptors characterization
• Example conceptual site models

Human Health Risk Assessment and Risk-Based Remediation

• Human Health Risk Assessment Framework
• Threshold and non-threshold contaminants
• Human health risk assessment
• Development of risk-based criteria
• Risk-based remediation
• Example calculations

Contaminated Soil Remediation

• Physical/Chemical Treatment Technologies
• Soil Vapor Extraction
• Solidification/Stabilization
• Chemical Oxidation
• Soil Flushing
• Soil washing
• Electrokinetic Separation
• Biological Treatment Technologies: Biofarming, Bioventing, Phytoremediation

Groundwater Remediation

• Monitored Natural Attenuation
• Air Stripping
• Air Sparging
• Pump and Treat System
• Permeable reactive barriers (Zero-valent-iron)
• Application of Nano-Materials to in-situ remediation of groundwater

Examples to be worked on by participants, Question and Answer Session

DAY III - Environmental Site Assessment

Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment Standards

Phase I ESA

• Legislative requirement
• Provincial guidelines for site assessment
• Identify potential environmental concerns and activity
• Determine whether Phase II ESA is needed

Phase II ESA

• Background study
• Review of existing information
• Preliminary site characterization
• Development of a detailed work plan for Phase II ESA

Soil and Groundwater Sampling

• Sampling plans for soil and groundwater
• QA/QC project plans and samples
• Soil sampling methods and equipment
• Groundwater monitoring wells

Phase II ESA Report - Case Example

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes