Cutting-edge technology finally providing environmental professionals with information required to make intelligent remediation decisions at hydrocarbon sites.

What WCEC clients are saying about LIF:
"I have some very good news as we attained a major milestone today.  We began delineating in the Fueling Area near MW-4.  At the middle of today, we got to the point where I have a valid argument for calling the Fueling Area delineated!  This was based off of conversations with the MPCA and my often-changed definition of what "clean" looked like based on LIF data and spot-testing open LIF boreholes for signs of free product. 
 
The original Fueling Corrective Action Area spanned 89,500 square feet.  The rough calcuation from my field sketch and pencil lines shows the new total at 22,500 square feet, a 75% reduction in area/25% of the original area (+/-).  I feel confident that this should reduce the amount of time (and cost) we have until project closure when compared with the previous areas."

LIF/UVOST Technology
The key to understanding the why LIF technology is a prerequisite to effective remediation is understanding the distinct phases of hydrocarbon contamination and the fate/transport mechanisms which influence NAPL in the subsurface.

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• Vapor Phase
• Dissolved Phase
• Adhered Phase
• Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (Residual and Free-Phase NAPL)

The traditional investigation methods are effective at locating and defining the vapor phase, dissolved phase, and adhered phase contamination; they are ineffective at locating and defining the source of these contamination phases – NAPL.  LIF technology focuses on NAPL exclusively, which sets it apart in the environmental field.  This ability allows investigations to focus on the source of the problem (NAPL) rather than the symptom of the problem (vapor, adsorbed, and dissolved phase contamination), finally providing environmental professionals with the information required to make effective and efficient remediation decisions. 

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At all sites with NAPL, residual phase NAPL will be present and is discontinuous and adheres to soil particles via capillary forces and thus generally not capable of migration and accumulation.  In some sites with NAPL, free-phase NAPL is present and is continuous, capable of migration, and often accumulates in monitoring wells and is identified as “free product.” The presence of residual phase NAPL in the absence of “free product” can often lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding the actual magnitude of the source area.

LIF/UVOST allows environmental professionals to quickly and accurately define the extent of NAPL at contaminated sites via the direct sensing method capable of drilling several hundred feet per day without the need to collect samples.  By focusing only NAPL, remediation experts can focus on the remediation of the source areas as soil gas vapor and dissolved contamination will attenuate if its source is removed. 

Actual 3-D Depiction of Migrating NAPL Plume

All LIF boring are located via sub-meter GPS which can be useful during data interpretation and remediation planning stages.   Field copies of all LIF borings are printed and provided to the consultant immediately after completion of the boring.  All more detailed description of LIF/VOST technology, along with actual LIF data from case studies, can be viewed using the following LIF E-Brochure link:  LIF E-Brochure