Rapid Field Measurement of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Based on CO{sub 2} Analysis

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is commonly measured in water and is an important parameter for understanding carbonate equilibrium, carbon cycling, and water-rock interaction. While accurate measurements can be made in the analytical laboratory, we have developed a rapid, portable technique that can be used to obtain accurate and precise data in the field as well.
Date: January 1, 2012
Creator: VESPER, DJ, Edenborn, Harry
System: The UNT Digital Library

Hydrogel Tracer Beads: The Development, Modification, and Testing of an Innovative Tracer for Better Understanding LNAPL Transport in Karst Aquifers

The goal of this specific research task is to develop proxy tracers that mimic contaminant movement to better understand and predict contaminant fate and transport in karst aquifers. Hydrogel tracer beads are transported as a separate phase than water and can used as a proxy tracer to mimic the transport of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). They can be constructed with different densities, sizes & chemical attributes. This poster describes the creation and optimization of the beads and the field testing of buoyant beads, including sampling, tracer analysis, and quantitative analysis. The buoyant beads are transported ahead of the dissolved solutes, suggesting that light NAPL (LNAPL) transport in karst may occur faster than predicted from traditional tracing techniques. The hydrogel beads were successful in illustrating this enhanced transport.
Date: January 1, 2012
Creator: Amanda Laskoskie, Harry M. Edenborn, and Dorothy J. Vesper
System: The UNT Digital Library