GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION AND TREATMENT OPTIONS
- Pump And Treat Test It is a primary technique for groundwater and soil remediation.Here, groundwater is pumped to the surface, and contaminants are removed by a variety of treatment methods , including air-stripping, ultraviolet or ozone treatment, precipitation and biodegradation. ...
- Soil Vapor Extraction ...
- Physical Remediation ...
- Biological Remediation ...
- Chemical Remediation
How is groundwater contaminated and treated?
Another method, called pump and treat, physically removes the water from the ground and treats it by way of biological or chemical means. Both of these methods have proven successful in treating contaminated groundwater.
What are the different types of groundwater remediation?
The most basic type of groundwater remediation, uses air to strip water clean (air sparging). Another method, called pump and treat, physically removes the water from the ground and treats it by way of biological or chemical means. Both of these methods have proven successful in treating contaminated groundwater.
What is the best way to clean groundwater?
This method may take longer to execute and can be costly, but still may be the only option on certain contaminants. Carbon absorption, ion exchange, chemical precipitation, and oxidation are all ways to achieve clean groundwater by way of chemical remediation.
What are the different technologies used to clean up groundwater?
Techniques include biological, chemical, and physical treatment technologies. The traditional approach is “pump and treat” which is physically pumping out the contaminated groundwater using a vacuum pump and then purifying the groundwater using materials that absorb the contaminants.
What are three examples of groundwater remediation techniques?
Ground water remediation techniques span biological, chemical, and physical treatment technologies. Most ground water treatment techniques utilize a combination of technologies. Some of the biological treatment techniques include bioaugmentation, bioventing, biosparging, bioslurping, and phytoremediation.
Is groundwater easy to remediate?
Cleaning water is not easy. Cleaning groundwater is especially difficult. If you want to drink clean water, groundwater must not become polluted. Or it must be cleaned.
What is the process of cleaning polluted groundwater?
Bioremediation is the process of cleaning up a polluted site by using living organisms and turning pollutants into non-toxic substances.
What is the remediation of polluted water?
Examples of water remediation/purification technologies are: Conventional water treatment plants - having differing complexity based on the level of contamination of the water. Treatment processes include screening/straining, filtration, coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, chlorination etc.
Why is groundwater remediation so difficult?
Groundwater can sometimes be difficult to clean up due to its location. Many times the water is pumped up a well, cleaned, and then sent back down the well into the aquifer. Sometimes an additive is placed in the groundwater that either makes the contaminants less harmful or destroys them.
What are two types of remediation that can take place in an aquifer?
There are two types of groundwater remediation: in situ (in place or on-site) and ex situ (off-site). The in-situ remediation approach involves cleaning the water where it is presently situated, rather than removing and transferring it elsewhere.
What can an engineer do to solve the problem of contaminated ground water?
The following highlights six of the most instrumental methods civil engineers use to provide people with access to clean water across the world.Desalination. ... Agriculture Irrigation Technology. ... Wastewater Treatment. ... PUR Water Purifying Sachet. ... Water Purification Tablets. ... Small Decentralized Distillation Units.
What are 10 ways to reduce water pollution?
15 Proven Ways We Can Reduce Water PollutionDispose of Toxic Chemicals Properly: ... Shop with Water Pollution in Mind: ... Do Not Pour Fat and Grease Down the Drain: ... Use Phosphate-Free Detergent and Dish Cleaner: ... Check Your Sump Pump or Cellar Drain: ... Dispose of Medical Waste Properly: ... Eat More Organic Food:More items...•
What is the most common method for removing groundwater?
Pump-and-treat is the most widely used remediation technique for contaminated groundwater. For this method, one or more extraction wells are used to remove contaminated water from the subsurface.
How do you eliminate groundwater?
Installing a surface drainage system around the perimeter of the basement floor. This method channels water from the walls to a drain or sump for removal. Relieving water pressure against walls and the floor. Some form of drainage is necessary when cracks occur because of water pressure.
How to treat groundwater?
The actual remediation of a site, or restoring the soil and groundwater to a usable state, can be achieved utilizing many different methods. Techniques include biological, chemical, and physical treatment technologies. The traditional approach is “pump and treat” which is physically pumping out the contaminated groundwater using a vacuum pump and then purifying the groundwater using materials that absorb the contaminants. In 1994, REGENESIS introduced a revolutionary approach to treating groundwater that offered an alternative to pump and treat. Oxygen Release Compound (ORC) was the first of its kind and quickly became the standard for leading environmental consultant firms to treat a number of sites with groundwater contaminants including benzene, DCE, MTBE, and vinyl chloride. With the advent of chemical in situ groundwater technologies and approaches, environmental consulting firms no longer had just one choice.
What is groundwater remediation?
To begin, groundwater remediation is the process that treats polluted groundwater by removing the pollutants and/or converting them into harmless products. Groundwater is essentially water present below the ground surface, often in underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials known as aquifers.
Why is groundwater remediation important?
Overall, groundwater remediation is an important aspect in protecting the environment and we are proud to do our part by providing a variety of treatment approaches addressing contaminated sites. If you’d like a more in-depth and scientific look at the different types of technologies used to treat contaminated groundwater, check out Remediation Solutions on our site.
What happens after each phase of groundwater sampling?
After each phase, the groundwater must be sampled and tested to see if it meets certain criteria determined by the state, federal, and local government. Ideally, if it meets or exceeds the regulatory standards following the monitoring period, the project is considered complete and contaminant levels are said to be at non-detect.
Why is remediation important?
The goal of remediation is to make groundwater safe for humans and minimize the negative impact contaminants have on the environment. Additionally, soil or sediment can also be remediated if it’s contaminated as a result of coming in contact with contaminated groundwater.
What is the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable?
The Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable is at the forefront of the federal government's efforts to promote interagency cooperation to advance the use of innovative remediation technologies. The cost and performance reports provide the recommended procedures for documenting results from completed full-scale hazardous waste site remediation projects. Roundtable member Agencies include the EPA, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). View FRTR Reports
What is EPA online tool?
Online tool serves as a buyer's resource guide combining EPA expertise on solving environmental challenges with a catalogue of U.S. providers of related technologies. Users identify their environmental issue and preferred solution, and the tool identifies U.S. solution providers. Visit U.S. Environmental Solutions Toolkit; Buyer's Guide to U.S. Environmental Technologies and Service Providers
What is activated carbon remedial technology?
Remedial Technology Fact Sheet - Activated Carbon-Based Technology for In Situ Subsurface Remediation (EPA 542-F-18-001) . This fact sheet concerns an emerging remedial technology that applies a combination of activated carbon (AC) and chemical and/or biological amendments for in situ remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by organic contaminants, primarily petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents. The technology typically is designed to carry out two contaminant removal processes: adsorption by AC and destruction by chemical and/or biological amendments. With the development of several commercially available AC-based products, this remedial technology has been applied with increasing frequency at contaminated sites across the country. This fact sheet provides information to practitioners and regulators for a better understanding of the science and current practice of AC-based remedial technologies for in situ applications (April 2018, 9 pages). View or download at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/HQ/100001159.pdf.
What is the purpose of the EPA issue paper?
The U.S. EPA developed this issue paper to provide cleanup site teams with information about ecosystem services. These concept s and tools are useful in communicating the positive results of cleanup in addition to achieving the goals of cleanup. Information about ecosystem services may be considered in characterization of future land use options or design of a cleanup that is consistent with anticipated ecological reuse, depending on the regulatory authority of the cleanup program. View or download Ecosystem Services at Contaminated Site Cleanups
What is the EPA website?
EPA has developed this website to summarize timely information about the use of ecological revitalization at contaminated properties. The website also contains information about completed and ongoing projects where ecological revitalization was involved in solutions to various environmental concerns.
What is the 15th edition of Superfund Cleanup?
The SRR 15th Edition summarizes remedy decisions back to 1982 with a focus on the analysis of Superfund remedial actions selected from fiscal years (FY) 2012 to 2014. The report includes remedies selected in 308 decision documents (Records of Decision [RODs], ROD amendments, and Explanations of Significant Differences with changes to remedy components) signed in this three-year period. The SRR compiles data on overall remedy selection and remedies for source materials (such as soil and sediments), groundwater, surface water and air related to vapor intrusion. The report appendices summarize all the remedy components selected for sources and groundwater in each individual decision document. View the Superfund Remedy Report (SRR), Fifteenth Edition.
What is Groundwater?
Groundwater is water held underground that resides in cracks, spaces, and crevices in soil or rock. Groundwater can resurface by being withdrawn from the ground by a well, intersect with nearby bodies of water, or seep out of a rock formation or hillside.
What is Groundwater Remediation?
Groundwater remediation is the process of treating polluted groundwater by removing the pollutants. Most groundwater is clean, but groundwater can become contaminated as a result of over-application of fertilizer or pesticides, spills from industrial operations, runoff, or leaking from landfills.
Types of Groundwater Remediation
There are two types of groundwater remediation: in-situ and ex-situ. In-situ means in place or on-site, while ex-situ means off-site. In-situ involves cleaning the groundwater where it is currently situated, whereas ex-situ involves having the groundwater excavated and then taken off-site.
Groundwater Remediation Methods
There are many different methods and techniques when it comes to groundwater remediation. The three most common groundwater remediation methods are categorized into biological, chemical, and physical.
About Handex
As groundwater remediation experts, we will service your needs in a cost-effective manner utilizing the knowledge obtained through our extensive track record of working on a wide variety of sites with site-specific conditions, systems, and regulations.
How to treat contaminated groundwater?
There are various techniques to treat contaminated groundwater, with the most traditional revolving around a physical "pump and treat" approach. In this instance, water remediation is achieved by pumping contaminants out of the groundwater on-site with the help of a vacuum pump. The groundwater is then purified using materials to absorb the contaminants. More recently, experts have been turning to a more biological approach where organic matter, microorganisms and plants are used to clean contaminated water. This form of groundwater treatment largely revolves around bioaugmentation, bioventing and biosparging (similar to air sparging).
How to remediate groundwater?
An on-site approach to removing polluted soil and groundwater means cleaning the water right where it is situated. This process is typically cheaper and less time-consuming than an off-site approach, though it does leave groundwater susceptible to continued pollution to the environment in which they're stationed.
What is an environmental remediation tank?
We offer environmental remediation storage tanks for a wide range of projects, from groundwater remediation solutions to the disposal of hazardous waste. Our tanks can handle containment, pumping, and filtration for applications such as wastewater, sediment or soils remediation. Use our storage tanks to store contaminated groundwater and soil, for dewatering, and stormwater management. They can be used for clean water treatment, oil and water separation, as well as hazardous waste storage and transportation.
Where is groundwater found?
Most often, it is found in underground layers or the subsurface of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or unconsolidated materials known as aquifers. This resting state leaves groundwater susceptible to common pollutants such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals. Because groundwater accounts for upwards of 40% of the world's drinking water, it is imperative that these areas are treated and the pollutants removed and converted into harmless products. This process is known as groundwater remediation.
What tree can purify water?
Another example of this is the white willow ( Salix alba ). This tree has shown an amazing capacity to help purify drinking water. Researchers at MIT have found that the xylem tissue in the sapwood can filter harmful bacteria, such as e. coli, and make the water safe to drink.
What happens when plants take in water?
When they take in the water, these plants have natural processes wherein they take up high concentrations of the toxin into their tissue while utilizing the water. While some plants may be damaged by this, hyperaccumulators can sustain the metals and pollutants the water contains.
Does the Earth clean itself?
The Earth itself has proven itself more than capable of cleaning itself. Plants have a way of correcting many behaviors on our part. At EPAC, we know the power that the natural world brings, and we want to utilize these natural components to rid the soil of contamination.
Is it cheaper to plant sunflowers or to dig up contaminated soil?
While planting sunflowers does have a cost associated with it, it is far cheaper than standard methods.
Groundwater Remediation and Treatment Techniques
Groundwater Extraction and Disposal
- Extraction and disposal is one of the most basic and cost-effective ways of dealing with what is a fairly complex issue. The key challenges in this method of remediation is to work out exactly how to access the groundwater in the first place, extract it from the ground, and then how to get rid of it safely.
Pumping and Treatment
- Pumping and treatment is one of the most commonly used ways of treating contaminated groundwater. The process involves pumping the groundwater through a specialist water treatment system, then either returning the treated water into the ground or putting it into the drainage system. The types of wastewater treatment systems used have a large variat...
In-Situ Chemical Oxidation of Groundwater
- In-situ chemical oxidationis a very useful way of treating contaminated groundwater without extracting it from the ground first. Chemical oxidation, or “Chemox” as it is sometimes called, can also be used to reduce the levels of contamination in the surrounding soil. There are a number of products which can be used to oxidise contamination affecting the soil. Some of these treatmen…
Air Sparging
- The technique of air spargingis the default choice when the contaminants which require to be removed include fuel, oil or other hydrocarbons. A layman’s explanation of what air sparging is that it involves pumping air through water. There are two ways in which this helps to treat hydrocarbon contamination: 1. The contaminants are forced into the air and out of the water. 2. I…
Soil Vapour Extraction
- Soil vapour extraction (SVE) is used to remove fuel odours from either contaminated soil or groundwater. A good way of thinking about this technique is that the method is similar to vacuuming smells out of the ground. The extracted vapour then passes through layers of carbon filter until is it safe enough to exhaust to the air. Vapour extraction doesn’t have a huge impact w…
Contaminated Groundwater Analysis and Remediation Solutions
- Water Treatment Servicesoffer a comprehensive range of groundwater analysis and remediation solutions to support organisations involved in the management and redevelopment of contaminated land and brownfield sites. With offices in London serving the South and South East England, Manchester (North West), Birmingham (Midlands), Bristol (South East England and W…