<http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00766983>.
Q1. Identify the key findings/arguments and any recommendations given by the author(s).
In this article Kargbo expresses his view on the groundwater protection by analyzing the reactions of chemical pollutants and assessing the soil cleanup levels. The author states that contaminant transport through soils to groundwater is influenced by the behavior of the chemicals being transported and the hydrodynamics of the system. He reports how the following four kinds of chemical processes in the subsurface act on soils and that these may lead to the generation of incorrect soil cleanup goals. According to Kargbo the necessary time for contaminants to migrate to groundwater can be grossly underpredicted if there presents an asymmetry in the desorption curve. In addition, the degree of ionization is pH dependent and may lead to mobility changing of the contaminant in soils. Thirdly, mixed wastes may cause hydrophobic organic chemicals to became mobile because of cosolvency. Finally, the degree of speciation is a function of several soil and chemical variables, such as redox status of the soil solution, temperature and so on.
Kargbo suggests that more information should be provided to guide the modeler on the appropriate representation of these complex processes in modeling soil cleanup goals.
Q2. Explain how the article has broadened your thinking in the area.
I had some awareness of the difficulties about interactions between contaminants and soils when considering various chemical reactions in contamination transporting. This issue also involves in how these chemicals transform between two different phases (the solid phase and the liquid phase) in order to build up the relationship of soils and underground water.