PNNL

Abstract

Fluid contents of nonaqueous phase liquids in porous media are determined using nondestructive and destructive methods. The most widely used nondestructive methods are gamma and x-ray radiation techniques. Other nondestructive methods include light reflection, electric resistance, and NMR techniques. Destructive methods include extraction with organic solvents or hydrophobic porous materials. The nonintrusive, noninvasive gamma radiation technique has been traditionally used in subsurface flow and transport applications for the determination of water content and dry bulk density values. More recently, gamma radiation methods have been developed for laboratory environmental research in soil science and hydrology. Contributions by Dane et al. (1992), Host-Madsen and Jensen (1992), Hofstee et al. (1997), Lenhard et al. (1993), Illangasekare et al. (1995), Imhoff et al. (1994), Oostrom and Lenhard (1998), and Oostrom et al. (1999a,b) are examples in which the technique was used to determine volumetric liquid content values of immiscible nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in multifluid flow applications. For detailed information about this technique the reader is referred to Stillwater and Klute (1988) and Oostrom and Dane (1990).