Permeable Reactive Barriers (Proceedings of the International Symposium held at Belfast, Northern Ireland, March 2004). IAHS Publ. 298, 2005, 52-59.

1 Environment Agency Science Group, Olton Court, 10 Warwick Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands B92 7HX, UK.

2 Mouchel Parkman, Parkman House, Lloyd Drive, Ellesmere Port, South Wirral CH65 9HQ, UK

3 Environmental Engineering Research Centre, School of Civil Engineering, The Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK.

4 CEL International Ltd, 256 Foleshill Road, Coventry CV6 5AB, UK.

5 ESI, Priory House, Priory Road, Shrewsbury SY1 1RU, UK.

Abstract A regulatory approach has been developed by the Environment Agency (the Agency), and linked to good practice guidance, to encourage the appropriate use of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) in England and Wales. Innovative approaches to PRB technologies are being developed in the UK and taken forward to full-scale implementation. These developments, although small in number, utilize a variety of reactive media to address a range of contaminants, including mixed contaminant plumes. Potential for further development of PRB technologies exists, in particular to reduce the impact of diffuse groundwater pollution. In this context, PRB technologies may help to reduce the impact of groundwater pollution on aquatic ecosystems, even at river-reach to catchment-scale.

Key words groundwater; permeable reactive barrier; pollution; PRB; remediation