SUMMARY OF THE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT FORUM
PHYTOREMEDIATION ACTION TEAM
CHLORINATED SOLVENTS SUBGROUP
CONFERENCE CALL

June 1, 2000
1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

On June 1, 2000, the following members of the Remediation Technologies Development Forum's (RTDF's) Phytoremediation Action Team, Chlorinated Solvents Subgroup, met in a conference call:

Bob Tossell, GeoSyntec Consultants (Subgroup Co-chair)
Linda Fiedler, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Technology Innovation Office (TIO)
Jim Jordahl, CH2M Hill, Inc.
Kelly Madalinski, EPA, TIO
Steve Rock, EPA

Also present was Christine Hartnett of Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG).

THE SUBGROUP'S PROTOCOL AND FIELD PROGRAM

Bob Tossell said that the Subgroup is writing a protocol; it will describe what steps should be taken to assess phytoremediation at sites with chlorinated solvents. The protocol will be very useful, Linda Fiedler said, because very little guidance is currently available on this topic. In many cases, she said, investigators hesitate to consider phytoremediation because they simply do not know how to evaluate the technology.

Tossell said that the Subgroup has already started working on the protocol: an outline has been written, authors have been assigned to address specific issues, and some text has already been drafted. He said that the Subgroup is currently focusing their efforts on completing Sections 1 and 2 of the protocol. Topics that will be covered in these sections include:

• An introduction to phytoremediation. Steve Rock has been assigned to cover this topic.

• The protocol's purpose, scope, and roadmap. Keith Rose has already drafted text for this section. It is about 1 page long, Tossell said, and is clear and concise.

• A summary of different applications. Tossell said that the protocol will promote phytoremediation as a technology that can be applied in a variety of ways. Phytoremediation should not only be touted as a stand-alone treatment, he said: its role as part of a treatment train or as a polishing tool should also be advertised. Tossell and Jim Jordahl will work together to generate text on different applications. After they write a draft, they will solicit additional input from the rest of the Subgroup members. Tossell said that the outline advises addressing this topic under Section 1. He fears, however, that the information will get buried if it is placed in that section. He suggested addressing the topic in a stand-alone section. That way, he said, information about different applications will stand out better. He said that this information must be packaged well, noting that the technology's success hinges on how aware potential users are of the wide breadth of applications.

• How phytoremediation could benefit site owners. Tossell has been assigned to cover this topic.

• The properties of chlorinated solvents. Tossell has been assigned to cover this topic.

• Literature review. Fiedler said that she and one of EPA's contractors have been gathering potential references for the protocol's literature review. She said that many references are provided in EPA's Phytoremediation Resource Guide, which was completed about a year and a half ago. About 90 other references were identified through a standard literature search. Fiedler said that all the references discuss phytoremediation of chlorinated solvents; some describe laboratory or greenhouse studies, others summarize actual case studies. Fiedler said that the references will be given to Lee Newman and Milton Gordon, two of the people who have been assigned to write the literature review. Tossell said that he is also preparing part of the review; he has been assigned to find references on bioremediation processes. Tossell said that some Subgroup members question whether the protocol should discuss these processes. Tossell said that they should, noting that microbial and nonbiotic degradation pathways can significantly alter a contaminant's concentration and composition. He said that site owners should understand the attenuation processes that could occur as contaminants migrate from source zones to phytoremedial systems. For this reason, Tossell plans to provide references that discuss these pathways. At the same time, he will clearly state that interactions in the rhizosphere and within plants become more important once a contaminant enters the treatment zone.

Tossell asked Subgroup members to send him text on their assigned topics by June 15, 2000. He agreed to compile what he receives into one large draft and to e-mail it to the Steering Committee by June 23, 2000.

Ultimately, Tossell said, the Subgroup hopes to identify site owners who will test the protocol in the field. The Subgroup has not yet decided exactly what kinds of sites to recruit. For example, Fiedler said, the Subgroup has not decided whether it wants to target existing sites (i.e., those that already have phytoremedial systems established) or brand new ones. Tossell responded to Fiedler's comment, saying that he thought it would be a good idea to consider both types of sites as potential candidates.

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

Subgroup members also discussed the following during the conference call:

• Steering Committee. Subgroup members said that they are still trying to identify additional candidates for the Subgroup's Steering Committee. Those who are chosen, Tossell said, must contribute significant time or resources. Ideally, he said, Steering Committee members will offer to test the Subgroup's protocol in the field.

• The status of Frank Beck's proposal. Beck submitted a proposal to the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, requesting funding to test phytoremedial systems at military burn pit sites. Rock said that he talked to Beck before the call. Beck informed him that he still has not heard whether the proposal will be accepted.

• EPA's "Introduction to Phytoremediation" document. Rock and Fiedler said that this document has been finalized. It can be obtained by calling 1-800-490-9198 and requesting the EPA/600/R99/107 report. It can also be downloaded from http://www.clu-in.org.

ACTION ITEMS

• ERG will set up a conference call for June 29, 2000, between 1:30 and 3:00 Eastern Daylight Time.

• Tossell said that he would like to complete Sections 1 and 2 of the Subgroup's protocol. He asked Subgroup members to send him text on their assigned topics by June 15, 2000. He agreed to compile what he receives into one large draft and to e-mail it to the Steering Committee by June 23, 2000. The following table summarizes what Subgroup members must do to accomplish this goal: