Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is increasingly applied as a tool to detect, understand, and quantify biological and abiotic degradation of contaminants, including chlorinated solvents, propellants, explosives, and fuel additives, among others. An important feature of CSIA is that it can allow degradative losses of contaminants to be distinguished from those caused by non-destructive processes such as dilution, dispersion, and sorption. In some instances, dominant degradative mechanisms can also be determined using CSIA. This presentation will cover the basics of stable isotope analysis and provide theoretical and real-world examples of how CSIA data can be used to document degradation of a variety of contaminants, including chlorinated solvents, 1,4-dioxane and 1,2-dibromoethane among others. A second main area of application for CSIA is contaminant forensics. This approach is relevant for materials that have both natural and synthetic sources (e.g., perchlorate), as well as these that have different manufacturing processes or have experienced different levels of degradation over time. The presentation will examine the current state-of-the art in forensic evaluation of contaminants, with a specific focus on perchlorate, and chlorinated solvents in vapor intrusion.

Presenter:
Dr. Paul Hatzinger is the Director of the Biotechnology Development and Applications Group at APTIM. He holds a BS degree from St. Lawrence University and both MS and PhD degrees from Cornell University. Dr. Hatzinger has more than 25 years of experience in contaminant biodegradation, bioremediation, and forensics. His research group has been instrumental in the development and field application of new remedial approaches for several contaminants of concern to the Department of Defense, including perchlorate, 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB), and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Dr. Hatzinger has also conducted extensive research on the application of CSIA to determine the sources and fate of perchlorate in the environment, and he maintains a strong interest in furthering the use of stable isotope technologies for environmental applications. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has served as the Principal Investigator on research grants from NSF, EPA, DOE, SERDP, ESTCP, US Navy, AFCEC, and USACE.

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