While it may be difficult to comprehend, soil does become filthy. Oil, grease, heavy metals, and pesticides can pollute soil through urban and agricultural runoff, as well as industrial spills or precipitation. Cleaning requires more than a broom and a dustpan. The soil must be remedied, and the pollutants and toxins must be removed from the ground.
Numerous cleanup procedures are available, with variable degrees of efficiency, cost, and sustainability depending on the site characteristics. When officials think a site is polluted, they assess it to ascertain the pollutant, the amount of the contamination, and the most effective soil remediation technique.
Here is a quick look at some of the different techniques used in dirty dirt soil remediation.
Biodegradation
Through a naturally occurring process known as biodegradation, nature attempts to assist in the elimination of soil pollutants. Certain soil bacteria feed on pollutants such as tar deposits. In conjunction with other scientists, researchers at Argonne discovered that infusing zero-valent iron into the soil speeds natural biodegradation.
Phytoremediation
On a bright day, trees provide shade, but they may also remove toxins from the soil via phytoremediation. Many companies such as Earth Services & Abatement have found that trees and other deep-rooted plants take pollutants from the soil and incorporate them into their tissues; in addition, plants “breathe” volatile toxins into the atmosphere, where they degrade.
Soil Vapor Extraction
This method creates a vacuum in the soil to stimulate air movement and move soil vapors. The toxic vapors are collected and treated aboveground by researchers using extraction wells.
This is an effective dirty dirt soil remediation technique when the pollutants are vaporized or quickly evaporate liquids, such as methane and propane. These vapors can find their way into homes and businesses where they can cause illness.
