Reactive Walls

A reactive wall may be used to limit plume migration beyond a set boundary location such as a property boundary or a potential receptor.  A transect of Newman Zone® across a ground water plume can act as anaerobic reactive treatment wall or barrier if pH allows vigorous bacterial action.  Addition of Neutral Zone® to moderate low pH can help bacterial action to degrade or immobilize contaminants as they move through the treatment zone by advective ground-water flow.

Plumes at sites with very low ground water velocities may also be treated by placing multiple barriers across the general flow direction.  The spacing between barriers is determined by considering the advective ground water flow time of travel between barriers.  Travel times of one to two years have been successfully used.  Sufficient Neutral Zone® should be injected in each transect to remain effective throughout the selected time of travel.