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Research on the detection of leakage points in vertical barrier walls using a combined method of ERT and tracer methods

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Abstract

In order to improve the detection accuracy of vertical barrier leakage, three contamination leakage working conditions, including point leakage only, point and vertical leakage, and horizontal leakage, were simulated by small-scale soil tank tests. The dynamic evolution of soil resistivity over time was monitored by electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The accuracy of the ERT detection results was validated through thermal tracer method, chloride tracer method, and soil true resistivity experiments. The results indicate that the resistivity profiles at different times can more accurately reflect information on the location of leakage points, the extent of contamination plumes, and the migration pathways of pollutants under different working conditions. The extent of anomalous areas in resistivity profiles is a crucial factor in representing the geometric shape of pollution leakage. However, the preferential seepage or lateral migration of contaminant in the soil significantly reduces the detection accuracy of ERT for identifying leakage points. The thermal tracer method and the chloride tracer method can produce better complementary interpretations of ERT monitoring results. The measurement points near the leakage point exhibit faster temperature response rates, which can serve as a characteristic for identifying the location of leakage points. Compared with the thermal tracer method, the chloride tracer method can monitor the migration of contaminants over a larger range. Therefore, the proposed combined diagnostic detection method in this paper presents a feasible solution with promising engineering applications in leakage detection for vertical barrier barriers.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFC3702500), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41877240, 41672280), and the Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Southeast University (No. YBPY1930).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering and Environmental Safety, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, Jiangsu Province, China

    Haitao Yu, Zhibin Liu, Xinchen Cai & Liangliang Lu

  2. Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Public Utilities Holding Group Co. Ltd, Nanjing, 210048, Jiangsu Province, China

    Xinchen Cai

  3. Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China

    Min Song

Authors
  1. Haitao Yu
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  2. Zhibin Liu
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  3. Xinchen Cai
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  4. Min Song
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  5. Liangliang Lu
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Haitao Yu and Zhibin Liu. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Haitao Yu, Xinchen Cai, and Liangliang Lu. The sources of funding are provided by Zhibin Liu and Min Song. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zhibin Liu.

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Responsible Editor: Xianliang Yi

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Highlights

•A combined method of ERT and tracer methods is proposed for detecting vertical barrier leakage.

•The resistivity profiles can contribute to determining the source zone geometry of the contamination leakage.

•The preferential seepage or lateral migration of contaminants in soil significantly reduces the ERT detection accuracy.

•The temperature response rate and variations in chloride concentration can serve as effective supplementary indicators for interpreting ERT results.

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Yu, ., Liu, Z., Cai, X. et al. Research on the detection of leakage points in vertical barrier walls using a combined method of ERT and tracer methods. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 123008–123021 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30958-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30958-y

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