The partitioning tracer method is to estimate the residual saturation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in soils by analyzing tracer's retardation induced by the reversible partitioning of tracer with NAPL. This study is to estimate the residual diesel saturation in soils using the partitioning tracer method. Two-dimensional soil box was used to represent the 2-dimensional flows of groundwater and tracer solution in the saturated aquifer, and the soil box was filled with soil and then saturated with water. The residual diesel saturation was induced in saturated soil, and the partitioning tracer method was applied. The results from batch-partitioning experiment indicated that the diesel-water partitioning was linear with respect to tracer's concentration, and the partition coefficient of tracer between diesel and water was measured by their linearities. The groundwater flow in the saturated aquifer was simulated in the 2-dimensional soil box, and the residual diesel contamination was visually identified. The results from the partitioning tracer method with or without diesel in soils confirmed that 4-methyl-2-pentanol, 2-ethyl-1-butanol and 1-hexanol, can be used as a detecting method for diesel contamination. By the accuracies of estimations for diesel contamination using the partitioning tracer method, 2-ethyl-1- butanol showed the highest accuracy with 83%.

Keywords: Soil contamination;LNAPL;Diesel;Partitioning tracer method;2-D soil box experiment;