Haga Företagscenter - historical and preliminary technical investigation of a contaminated site in Anderstorp, Småland, Sweden

Abstract

The Haga Företagscenter site in Anderstorp, Sweden has a long industrial history, which include the extensive use of chlorinated solvents. Trichloroethene (TCE) was used in large quantities here but the release to the environment has not been previously investigated. In this study, a historical investigation and preliminary technical investigation was carried out to identify the source zone and resulting groundwater plume, as well as to determine if contaminants are subject to degradation. Using depthdiscrete groundwater sampling, TCE, dichloroethene (DCE), and at one location traces of vinyl chloride (VC) were detected at the site. The source zone of the contamination, having the highest concentrations of TCE and DCE, were identified below the point of a former TCE degreasing facility. Outside the source zone, TCE, DCE and VC concentrations were well below threshold values for drinking water, showing that TCE spreading is of a limited character. Stable carbon isotope data from compound-specific carbon isotope analysis (CSIA) revealed that TCE at the source zone is subject to degradation, producing the daughter compound cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE). The low levels outside the source zone and the TCE degrading means that a minimally invasive remediation approach like monitored natural attenuation can be considered for the site.