Natural attenuation processes in the Corona Protocol: application to the "NIT" field site

Abstract

The contribution of the CORONA project (Confidence in fORecasting Of Natural Attenuation a research project supported by the European Commission under the Fifth Framework Programme) to the theoretical background and application principles of Monitoring Natural Attenuation (MNA) is presented. A detailed knowledge of hydrodynamical, hydrochemical and microbiological processes occurring inside and, particularly, at the interfacial fringe of the plume is put in evidence as the key factor in assessing the natural attenuation potential. The plume zonation (both in horizontal and vertical direction) in areas where different redox processes are acting is possible only with high resolution sampling devices such as Multi Level Samplers (MLSs). As a representative case study the NIT plant is been chosen as test site for the application of the Corona Protocol