There may be nearly 300,000 waste sites in the United States where ground water and soil are contaminated. Yet recent studies question whether existing technologies can restore contaminated ground water to drinking water standards, which is the goal for most sites and the result expected by the public. How can the nation balance public health, technological realities, and cost when addressing ground water cleanup? This new volume offers specific conclusions, outlines research needs, and recommends policies that are technologically sound while still protecting health and the environment. Authored by the top experts from industry and academia, this volume: Examines how the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the subsurface environment, as well as the properties of contaminants, complicate the cleanup task. Reviews the limitations of widely used conventional pump-and-treat cleanup systems, including detailed case studies. Evaluates a range of innovative cleanup technologies and the barriers to their full implementation. Presents specific recommendations for policies and practices in evaluating contamination sites, in choosing remediation technologies, and in setting appropriate cleanup goals.

This book presents a comprehensive, up-to-date review of technologies for cleaning up contaminants in groundwater and soil. It provides a special focus on three classes of contaminants that have proven very difficult to treat once released to the subsurface: metals, radionuclides, and dense nonaqueous-phase liquids such as chlorinated solvents. Groundwater and Soil Cleanup was commissioned by the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of its program to clean up contamination in the nuclear weapons production complex. In addition to a review of remediation technologies, the book describes new trends in regulation of contaminated sites and assesses DOE's program for developing new subsurface cleanup technologies.

An introduction to the principles and practices of soil and groundwater remediation Soil and Groundwater Remediation offers a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the principles, practices, and concepts of sustainability of soil and groundwater remediation. The book starts with an overview of the importance of groundwater resource/quality, contaminant sources/types, and the scope of soil and groundwater remediation. It then provides the essential components of soil and groundwater remediation with easy-to-understand design equations/calculations and the practical applications. The book contains information on remediation basics such as subsurface chemical behaviors, soil and groundwater hydrology and characterization, regulations, cost analysis, and risk assessment. The author explores various conventional and innovative remediation technologies, including pump-and-treat, soil vapor extraction, bioremediation, incineration, thermally enhanced techniques, soil washing/flushing, and permeable reactive barriers. The book also examines the modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport in saturated and unsaturated zones. This important book: Presents the current challenges of remediation practices Includes up-to-date information about the low-cost, risk-based, sustainable remediation practices, as well as institutional control and management Offers a balanced mix of the principles, practices, and sustainable concepts in soil and groundwater remediation Contains learning objectives, discussions of key theories, and example problems Provides illustrative case studies and recent research when remediation techniques are introduced Written for undergraduate seniors and graduate students in natural resource, earth science, environmental science/engineering, and environmental management, Soil and Groundwater Remediation is an authoritative guide to the principles and components of soil and groundwater remediation that is filled with worked and practice problems.

At hundreds of thousands of commercial, industrial, and military sites across the country, subsurface materials including groundwater are contaminated with chemical waste. The last decade has seen growing interest in using aggressive source remediation technologies to remove contaminants from the subsurface, but there is limited understanding of (1) the effectiveness of these technologies and (2) the overall effect of mass removal on groundwater quality. This report reviews the suite of technologies available for source remediation and their ability to reach a variety of cleanup goals, from meeting regulatory standards for groundwater to reducing costs. The report proposes elements of a protocol for accomplishing source remediation that should enable project managers to decide whether and how to pursue source remediation at their sites.

An unmatched reference on electrochemical technologies for soil, sediment, and groundwater pollution remediation Electrochemical technologies are emerging as important approaches for effective and efficient pollution remediation, both on their own and in concert with other remediation techniques. Electrochemical Remediation Technologies for Polluted Soils, Sediments and Groundwater provides a systematic and clear explanation of fundamentals, field applications, as well as opportunities and challenges in developing and implementing electrochemical remediation technologies. Written by leading authorities in their various areas, the text summarizes the latest research and offers case studies that illustrate equipment, installation, and methods employed in real-world remediations. Divided into nine sections, the coverage includes: Introduction and fundamental principles Remediation of heavy metals and other inorganic pollutants Remediation of organic pollutants Remediation of mixed contaminants Electrokinetic barriers Integrated (coupled) technologies Mathematical modeling Economic and regulatory considerations Field applications and performance assessment Unique as a comprehensive reference on the subject, Electrochemical Remediation Technologies for Polluted Soils, Sediments and Groundwater will serve as a valuable resource to all environmental engineers, scientists, regulators, and policymakers.

Introductory technical guidance for civil, environmental and mechanical engineers and construction managers interested in air sparging methods of contaminated soil remediation. Here is what is discussed: 1. TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION 2. OVERVIEW OF AIR SPARGING 3. AIR SPARGING TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS 4. RELATED TECHNOLOGIES 5. SUMMARY OF PHYSICAL PROCESSES 6. COMPONENTS OF INJECTION PRESSURE 7. GROUNDWATER MIXING 8. ASSOCIATED TECHNICAL ISSUES 9. TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: EFFECTIVENESS AND LIMITATIONS 10. TECHNOLOGY STATUS 11. CONDITIONS AMENABLE TO IAS 12. RESULTS IN REGULATORY “CLOSURE” 13. IAS MODELS.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of innovative remediation techniques and strategies for soils contaminated by heavy metals or organic compounds (e.g. petroleum hydrocarbons, NAPLs and chlorinated organic compounds). It discusses various novel chemical remediation approaches (in-situ and ex-situ) used alone and in combination with physical and/or thermal treatment. Further, it addresses the recovery of NAPLs, reuse of leaching solutions, and in-situ chemical reduction and oxidation, and explores the chemical enhancement of physical NAPLs recovery from both practical and theoretical perspectives. Also presenting the state-of-the-art in waste-assisted bioremediation to improve soil quality and the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, the book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and R&D professionals in industry engaged in the treatment of contaminated soils.

The number of hazardous waste sites across the United States has grown to approximately 217,000, with billions of cubic yards of soil, sediment, and groundwater plumes requiring remediation. Sites contaminated with recalcitrant contaminants or with complex hydrogeological features have proved to be a significant challenge to cleanup on every levelâ€"technologically, financially, legally, and sociopolitically. Like many federal agencies, the Navy is a responsible party with a large liability in hazardous waste sites. Environmental Cleanup at Navy Facilitites applies the concepts of adaptive management to complex, high-risk hazardous waste sites that are typical of the military, EPA, and other responsible parties. The report suggests ways to make forward progress at sites with recalcitrant contamination that have stalled prior to meeting cleanup goals. This encompasses more rigorous data collection and analysis, consideration of alternative treatment technologies, and comprehensive long-term stewardship.