Hydrocarbon contamination, assessment and remediation practice

Organic chemicals are used in all types of industries including but not limited to automotive and engine repair, dry cleaning, asphalt operations, dye manufacturing, agricultural activities, and food processing. The usage of organic chemicals is of increasing concern to regulators because of the contamination of soil and groundwater resulting from the mishandling and disposal of these chemicals. Typically, drums, underground and aboveground tanks are used to store these organic chemicals. The presence of large amount of chemicals, gasoline, and diesel fuel on-site is considering an indicator of the potential for soil and groundwater contamination. Due to leaking UST or surface spills of organic chemicals and its constituent it becomes the common culprits of soil and groundwater contamination. The first step toward implementing a remediation is to provide for [...] a better understanding of the physical properties of the organic chemicals themselves. This study reviews the chemistry of hydrocarbon and the fundamental concepts and principles of geology and hydrogeology, since the media where the contamination is taking place, and followed by a discussion of the fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface, from an industry and regulatory point of view. The types and design of remediation system was overlooked and applied in a real case of study of Phase I, II and [III] Environmental Site Assessment. This study concluded with an overview of the application of the remote sensing in the environmental industry and its future potential involvement in the environmental site assessments, Phase I through Phase III audits.