Detection, characterization, and mapping of subsurface PFAS-stabilized viscoelastic non-Newtonian LNAPLS using rheological methods
OwnerPatrick Richard Bradyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of detecting, characterizing, and mapping an environmental subsurface PFAS-stabilized viscoelastic non-Newtonian light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL), including collecting an environmental sample that is a fluid sample, or is collected as a solid that is subsequently extracted with water to generate a fluid sample; and where the environmental sample is associated with a location where it was collected; analyzing the fluid sample using one or more rheological methods; and correlating the rheological characteristics with a presence or an absence of the non-Newtonian LNAPL at the location where the environmental sample was collected.
Claims16
A method of detecting an environmental viscoelastic non-Newtonian light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL), comprising:
- collecting an environmental sample, wherein the environmental sample is either collected as a fluid sample, or is collected as a solid that is subsequently extracted with water to generate the fluid sample;
- and the environmental sample is associated with a location where it was collected;
- analyzing the fluid sample using one or more rheological methods to determine one or more rheological characteristics of the fluid sample;
- and
- correlating the rheological characteristics of the fluid sample with a presence or an absence of the viscoelastic non-Newtonian LNAPL at the location where the environmental sample was collected.
A method of identifying a source formulation for an environmental viscoelastic non-Newtonian light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL), comprising:
- collecting an environmental sample, wherein the environmental sample is either collected as a fluid sample, or is collected as a solid that is subsequently extracted with water to generate the fluid sample;
- characterizing the fluid sample using one or more rheological methods to determine one or more rheological characteristics of the fluid sample;
- and
- correlating the determined rheological characteristics with the source formulation for the non-Newtonian LNAPL.
A method of deconvoluting an environmental contamination, comprising:
- collecting a plurality of environmental samples that include a mixture of man-made viscoelastic fluid and natural soil colloids, wherein each environmental sample is either collected as a fluid sample, or is collected as a solid that is subsequently extracted with water to generate the fluid sample;
- characterizing one or more rheological properties of the plurality of fluid samples;
- correlating the characterized rheological properties of the plurality of fluid samples with one or more source formulations of the man-made viscoelastic fluid;
- characterizing one or more colloidal properties of the plurality of fluid samples;
- correlating the characterized colloidal properties with a presence of one or more natural soil colloids in the fluid samples;
- and
- correlating the one or more natural soil colloids in the fluid samples with a three-dimensional path through the environment for each of the source formulations of the man-made viscoelastic fluids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.