Chemical engineering progress · 1993 · 11 citations · 0 references
AgricultureEarth SciencesSoil SciencesSoil ChemistrySoil RemediationSoil ScienceGroundwater RemediationIn-situ RemediationOrganic Contaminant RemovalSoil Vapor ExtractionSteam InjectionVolatile Organic CompoundsAir SpargingGroundwater Pump-and-treatPump-and-treatPump-and-treat RemediationVapor ExtractionVolatile Organic Compound RemovalVolatilization From GroundwaterVolatilization Of Soil Contaminants
Hydrocarbon recovery as a means of soil and groundwater remediation has received considerable attention in the last few years as the shortcomings of groundwater pump-and-treat technologies have become more evident. A previous article covered a wide range of in situ site cleanup technologies and provided guidance on how to choose among them. This article examines one of those technologies, soil vapor extraction (SVE), in more detail and explains how to improve the performance of SVE by combining it with air sparging or steam injection. Air sparging injects air below the groundwater surface to promote the volatilization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the groundwater into the vadose zone so that the VOCs can be removed via the SVE system. Steam injection injects steam into the vadose zone to increase the subsurface temperatures, thereby volatilizing organic compounds with high boiling points.