Course Description

This talk presents field and laboratory data from two lowland UK catchments on the natural attenuation of chlorinated hydrocarbon groundwater plumes as they discharge through riverbeds with the potential to impact surface-water receptors. 

A particular focus of the talk is to examine the contrast in sorption occurring between the rural and urban study sites and also the implications of assumptions on bioavailability that are explored through modeling. The talk illustrates the importance of recognising the significance of ‘living in the anthropocene’ when we are considering the modern-day fate of contaminants at the groundwater – surface-water interface in urban environments.  

Director, GroundH2O Plus Ltd

Michael Rivett

Michael is currently a Director of GroundH2O Plus Ltd, his recently formed environmental consultancy specialising in research-informed hydrogeological assessment and technical review of groundwater contamination issues that are of topical concern to contaminated land, water-industry, nuclear, energy-development, and developing-world sectors. He is also a part-time Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde on the Scottish Government funded Climate Justice Fund - Water Futures Programme that aims to support the Government of Malawi in meeting SDG 6. He has 30 years experience in contaminant hydrogeology, including 20 years as a university academic at the University of Birmingham, UK, and also 4 years as a Post-Doc Fellow working with Prof. John Cherry at the University of Waterloo, Canada on the Solvents-in-Groundwater (mostly at the Borden site).

Course curriculum

  • 1

    GPro Talks - Living in the Anthropocene: Urban versus rural riverbed natural attenuation of chlorinated hydrocarbon plumes

    • Discussion

    • Living in the Anthropocene