Dynamics of fluids in fractured rock

Ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2 dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) are highly toxic organic chemicals added to all leaded gasoline in the U.S. since the mid-1920s. These chemicals are relatively soluble in water, they are mobile in the subsurface, and they appear to be resistant to biodegradation. Past investigations and remediation efforts at sites contaminated by leaded gasoline have rarely addressed the potential for EDB or 1,2-DCA contamination. There is a substantial likelihood that undetected EDB and 1,2-DCA groundwater plumes above drinking water standards may exist at tens of thousands of sites where leaded gasoline has leaked or spilled.