The changing paradigm of chlorinated solvent remediation

Just over 20 years ago, conventional wisdom suggested that remediation of chlorinated solvents dissolved in groundwater was very challenging in heterogenous media, and was virtually impossible in any media when present as a dense, non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) (NRC, 1994). Since then, the science has advanced on a variety of fronts, from characterization to remediation. While some technologies have come and gone, others have become established as best practices, and still others show potential that goes beyond the current state of the practice. Still, the question remains as to the extent that these advances change our perspective on the ability to clean up these sites. (author)