DEFINING THE AIR SPARGING RADIUS OF INFLUENCE FOR GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION

A theoretical study of air sparging for the removal of volatile organi c compounds (VOCs) from groundwater is presented. A simple relationshi p is developed between the observed subsurface pressure increase due t o sparging and the gas saturation at that location, thus providing a q uantitative measure of the sparging radius of influence. Multiphase nu merical simulations using a radially symmetric cylindrical geometry ar e used to confirm this relation, and to relate the injected gas radius of influence to the zone of VOC cleanup during sparging. These simula tions also illustrate the transient and steady-state behavior of air s parging systems in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.