Contaminant Hydrogeology Laboratory

The Contaminant Hydrogeology Laboratory consists of two large-scale experimental tanks in which remediation experiments can be performed under controlled conditions that simulate field conditions. The tanks contain 4 to 9 m3 of soil from contaminated sites or clean soil to which specific contaminants have been added.

The following equipment is also available:

• Six, tall, stainless steel columns 62 cm in diameter and 80 cm high
• Ten column segments 21.2 cm in diameter (6 segments 0.6 m high and 4 segments 1.2 m high)
• Several small-diameter columns (5 cm) of different heights
• A soil storage and preparation area
• Four 5 m3 tanks containing the injection solutions
• Two marine containers for soil storage
• An automated system for operating the laboratory
• A data acquisition system
• Measuring instruments for characterizing soils and aqueous and organic phases sampled during granulometric, characteristic curve, density, viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle tests.

Faculty members, students, and research technicians at the INRS Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre can use the Contaminant Hydrogeology Laboratory for their research projects, with the lab manager’s permission.

Our resources can also be used for internal and external collaborative projects or research and development contracts. Contact us.

The Contaminant Hydrogeology Laboratory can be used to

• Study the behaviour of recalcitrant contaminants in soil and groundwater, including energetic materials from military training grounds
• Evaluate passive, in-situ groundwater remediation methods (natural attenuation, permeable reactive barriers)
• Develop and compare the effectiveness of active, in situ remediation methods such as sparging, aeration, biodegradation, washing with surfactants, and chemical oxidation, etc. for different types of soils and contaminants
• Test and compare injection/pumping strategies for active, in situ remediation methods
• Study the behaviour of sheer thinning solutions (polymers, foam) injected into geological materials with different levels of permeability
• Develop and test mathematical models used in designing field tests and predicting their results

The Contaminant Hydrogeology Laboratory was established thanks to funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)