Groundwater Detectives
Students examine (hypothetical) groundwater samples to uncover a pollution source location and its movement.Copyright Department for Environmental Protection, Energy and Environment Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky http://water.ky.gov/groundwater/Pages/GroundwaterContaminationIssues.aspx
Student teams locate a contaminant spill in a hypothetical site by measuring the pH of soil samples. Then they predict the direction of groundwater flow using mathematical modeling. They also follow the steps of the engineering design process to come up with alternative treatments for the contaminated water.
Some environmental engineers are hired by communities to locate pollution and devise cleanup solutions. They test to find the concentration of the pollutant or contaminant and use that information to determine how the contaminant has traveled. To do this, engineers drill wells and conduct tests to determine the direction of groundwater flow in the area and the direction the pollutant is moving. Engineers use this information to design remediation for contaminated water. Remediation techniques include excavation and disposal, containment, chemical and biological treatment, phytoremediation, soil vapor extraction, and pumped removal and treatment methods.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain that engineers use mathematical modeling to make predictions about a design problem.
- Describe how engineers take water samples and analyze data to determine where groundwater contaminants come from and where they are going.
- Identify several methods for cleanup of contaminated groundwater used by engineers.