Monitoring data regarding aqueous groundwater concentrations of chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated ethenes and halomethanes as well as ancillary parameters (such as geochemical, nutrient and field data) have been collected from various wells at the Chambers Works site for over two decades. In effort to make use of this investment we applied a sophisticated statistical analysis to the data to elucidate evidence of potential degradation processes that these chemicals may undergo in the subsurface. Halogenated organic compounds are subject to various chemical, physical and biological forces and can undergo chemical reactions and transformations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the monitoring data onsite and has proven useful in characterizing different locations and revealing microbial degradation processes resulting, in distinct fingerprints for each organohalide family explored in this work. PMF resolved three factors in the chlorinated benzenes (Chapter 2), chlorinated ethenes (Chapter 3), and halomethanes (Chapter 4) groundwater datasets. In Chapter 2, for the chlorinated benzene dataset, one factor represents a source of 1,2-dichlorobenzene and the other two factors represent dechlorination, where one factor represents a more advanced dechlorination regime than the other. In Chapter 3, for the chlorinated ethenes dataset, one factor represents a source of tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene. Of the three resolved factors in the chloroethenes dataset, two factors represent stages of dechlorination in which one factor represents a more advanced dechlorination regime than the next. Finally, in Chapter 4, PMF resolved three factors in the halomethane dataset where two factors represent sources of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform and one factor represents dechlorination.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Environmental Sciences
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Groundwater--Pollution
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Water--Purification
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_7641
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (xv, 209 p. : ill.)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Staci L. Capozzi
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore19991600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
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