Compound-specific isotope analysis for assessing sources and fate of aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated aquifers

Michaela Blessing (1) , Eric Proust (1) , David Widory (1)

1 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)

Organic compounds deriving from industry, oil spills, improper disposal and/or leaking storage tanks, landfill leachates, household use, motor vehicle emissions as well as agricultural fertilizers and pesticides are responsible for widespread soil and aquifer pollution. The fate and behavior of such compounds in the subsurface depend on a number of physicochemical and biological processes, which may lead to 'natural attenuation'. Determination and quantification of these processes are crucial for contamination risk assessment and sustainable groundwater management. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) by online-coupling of capillary gas chromatography and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) offers a versatile tool to study the origin and to assess degradation processes of organic pollutants in the environment.

Domains: Environmental Engineering

Michaela Blessing, Eric Proust, David Widory. Compound-specific isotope analysis for assessing sources and fate of aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated aquifers. Isotope Workshop, ESIR XI, Jul 2011, Budapest, Hungary. pp.15, ⟨10.1556/CEuGeol.54.2011.1-2.3⟩. ⟨hal-00592023⟩