Movement and fate of chlorinated solvents in ground water; research activities at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey

The USGS, through its Toxic Waste--Ground-Water Contamination Program, is undertaking an interdisciplinary research study of contaminants. The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding of the chemical, physical, and biological processes that affect the movement and fate of these contaminants in groundwater. The study is being conducted at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, where metal plating and metal etching wastes have contaminated part of the glacial stratified drift aquifers. Major areas of research at the site are described, including: (1) distribution and movement of chlorinated solvents in groundwater, (2) behavior of chlorinated solvents in the unsaturated zone, (3) geochemistry of the contaminated groundwater, and (4) microbial transformations of chlorinated solvents. (Author 's abstract)