Organic Contamination Distribution Constrained with Induced Polarization at a Waste Disposal Site

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is a very interesting study, which uses a combined geophysical and geochemical investigation to characterize contamination sites. The manuscript is well-organized and easy to follow. Laboratory geophysical experiments are also conducted to aid the interpretation of the geophysical field data. I think such a comprehensive study using various datasets provides a great example for other researchers to follow. Therefore, I recommend publication with some minor revisions.

My comments mostly focus on the data interpretation part of the study:

1.       The discrepancy between field and lab resistivity data (Figure 6). The authors attribute the discrepancy to a) different measurement methods, b) groundwater conductivity, and c) inversion. Regarding a), I would explicitly say it is due to different measurement scales (or supporting volume). In the field, the supporting volume is roughly in the order of d^3 (where d is the electrode spacing), but the support volume in lab tests is at ~100 cm^3. A large sample volume may contain some fractures and preferential flow paths that may reduce the resistivity in the field.

2.       More discussion may be required to better explain the source of the metal in the subsurface that gives a high chargeability.  

 

3.       The comparison of induced polarization results from lab and field. I am curious why the authors were measuring the IP in the frequency domain in the lab. It is more intuitive to measure in the time domain with the same field equipment. Thus, lab and field results can be directly compared without any additional processing (e.g., using the Cole-Cole model to fit). Authors may want to mention the reason.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper "Organic contamination distribution constrained 3 with induced polarization at a waste disposal site" reported by Meng et al reported time domain induced polarization (TDIP) to constrain groundwater and soil organic contamination. In my opinion the article is very interesting and can be accepted after significant improvement in the manuscript.

The Abstract needs to be write in very concise manner.

The manuscript has many grammatical and english errors. I believe the author needs to recheck each statement carefully.

The literature related to organic contaminants can be be improved significantly by following these articles.

Materials Advances, 1(6), 1575-1601, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 474, 214859, Metal− Organic Frameworks for Environmental Remediation. American Chemical Society, 2021. 171-191,  Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 123602.

 

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx