Built in 1942, Camp Lejeune was used as a facility where future Marines and Sailors trained for upcoming World War II. For nearly 35 years, the military base and the area surrounding it was heavily contaminated with toxic agents such as perchloroethylene, vinyl chloride, benzene, trichloroethylene, and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Drinking water was perhaps the most dangerous route of exposure to these harmful substances, as they had infiltrated two water-distribution plants at Camp Lejeune.
The highest perchloroethylene level measured in drinking water was 43 times over the safe exposure limit, while the greatest trichloroethylene level exceeded the limit by 280 times. As a group of over 5,000 toxic chemicals, PFAS were found in drinking water at a concentration of 172,000 parts per trillion. This level eclipses the safe exposure limit by roughly 2,450 times. Exposure to such a hazardous chemical concoction may result in serious health problems, including kidney cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer, aplastic anemia, female infertility, lung cancer, renal toxicity, and prostate cancer.
However, in 1989, seven years after volatile organic compounds were found in the water at Camp Lejeune, the Environmental Protection Agency added the military base to the National Priority List. Together with the Navy, the agency soon began evaluating the sites of the military base where contamination was thought to have occurred. Currently, 26 operable units are being investigated and remediated. While the EPA has removed toxic pollutants from several areas of Camp Lejeune, much work has yet to be done for the military installation to be 100% safe to inhabit.
Bioremediation, A Very Effective Treatment for Contaminated Soil
Bioremediation uses microbes and bacteria to decontaminate the soil and water. It works by stimulating the growth of microorganisms, using toxic chemicals as a food and energy source. This biotechnology removes industrial solvents from affected soil, including perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. For bioremediation to work rapidly, microorganisms must have the right combination of temperature, nutrients, and food. This also means providing oxygen and moisture to control the pH levels.
The microorganisms in bioremediation convert toxic contaminants into small amounts of water and harmless gases, like carbon dioxide. When the conditions for bioremediation are unfavorable, the process can be improved by adding molasses, vegetable oil, or oxygen to the environment, known as “amendments”. It is important to note that bioremediation may take several months or several years to complete, depending on the contaminated area’s size, temperature, soil density, and degree of pollution. So far, the EPA has carried out bioremediation activities at over 100 Superfund sites.
Solvents Can Be Quickly Removed from Water with Chemical Oxidation and Air Stripping
The agency also used chemical oxidation for water treatment at Camp Lejeune, specifically to break down the contaminants in drinking water. It targets toxic agents by using hydroxyl radicals, which react quickly and nonselectively with nearly all organic compounds. Because the process is performed in situ, pumping out contaminated groundwater for aboveground cleanup is unnecessary. Solvents in groundwater also respond very well to chemical oxidation, making this technique relatively efficient. When oxidants are added to groundwater, a chemical reaction destroys contaminants, resulting in non-toxic byproducts.
In wastewater engineering, chemical oxidation converts toxic pollutant substances to innocuous or stabilized products that do not pose a health threat to people who drink the water. When chemical oxidation is successful, organic solvents like perchloroethylene, aromatic hydrocarbons, and methylene chloride will turn into carbon dioxide and water. The most frequently used oxidants for this process are ozone, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, and pure oxygen. The installation for chemical oxidation includes a buffer tank, a reactor, and a dosage unit for the oxidant.
Finally, air stripping is a technique that yields promising results for cleaning groundwater and surface water. It effectively removes volatile organic compounds present in enormous concentrations at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987. Air stripping involves transferring volatile organic compounds from water into air streams. This is a very useful environmental engineering technology. Wastewater and air are brought into aggressive contact with each other, and the volatile organic compounds in wastewater are transferred into the air.
Environmental Contamination Is Difficult to Tackle Even with the Latest Technology
While today, the water at Camp Lejeune is safe to drink, it will take many years for the military base to become a safe environment where service members can train and live. The agency uses other technologies to remove toxic pollutants from Camp Lejeune, including carbon adsorption to eliminate contaminants from the air and oil-water separation to make drinking water safe to consume. The negligence at Camp Lejeune has resulted in nearly one million people being diagnosed with serious illnesses from toxic exposures.
About the Author
Jonathan Sharp is the CFO at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., and assists veterans and their families whose health was affected by drinking contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
