Dissolved gas tracers in groundwater: Simplified injection, sampling, and analysis

Simplified injection, sampling, and analytical procedures using dissolved gases as groundwater tracers are presented for use in saturated conditions at both the laboratory and field scales. The injection of gases into the groundwater is accomplished by allowing the gas to diffuse through semipermeable tubing, minimizing the formation of bubbles that could modify the hydraulic properties around the well. We have simplified the collection of dissolved gases by developing a passive in situ headspace-sampler the employs a semipermeable membrane and copper tubing equipped with a schrader valve. The headspace within the sampler equilibrates with the dissolved gases in the groundwater in around 24 hours, and no groundwater is collected, which is of great advantage for use in contaminated sites. The design parameters and the time to equilibrium of the headspace sampler can be adjusted for investigation requirements using the analytical equation presented. The analysis of the gases for tracer content is performed by using a common gas chromatograph fitted with a thermal conductivity detector. Examples of the use of these methods at both the laboratory and field scales are presented.