Project Summary (1995-2000)

This project focuses on the processes leading to human exposure to toxic chemicals via drinking water pumped from municipal Wells G and H in Woburn between 1964 and 1979. It will contribute to the understanding of the transport and fate of toxic metals through wetland deposits and provide a more efficient methodology for future site investigations. The research measures the site stratigraphy and hydraulic conductivity of the deposits between the Aberjona river and Wells G and H. The physical properties of the wetland deposits are characterized using laboratory testing on undisturbed soil samples. These data are required for numerical models used to interpret the penetration measurements, provide reference values at specific locations and contribute to the understanding of the behavior of peats and highly compressible organic clays. The combination of the field and laboratory studies is used to formulate new methods of interpretation for penetration processes in layered materials.