Development of an integrated in-situ remediation technology. Topical report for task No. 12 and 13 entitled: Large scale field test of the Lasagna{trademark} process, September 26, 1994--May 25, 1996

Abstract

Contamination in low permeability soils poses a significant technical challenge to in-situ remediation efforts. Poor accessibility to the contaminants and difficulty in delivery of treatment reagents have rendered existing in-situ treatments such as bioremediation, vapor extraction, pump and treat rather ineffective when applied to low permeability soils present at many contaminated sites. This technology is an integrated in-situ treatment in which established geotechnical methods are used to instant degradation zones directly in the contaminated soil and electroosmosis is utilized to move the contaminants back and forth through those zones until the treatment is completed. This topical report summarizes the results of the field experiment conducted at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, KY. The test site covered 15 feet wide by 10 feet across and 15 feet deep with steel panels as electrodes and wickdrains containing granular activated carbon as treatment zone& The electrodes and treatment zones were installed utilizing innovative adaptation of existing emplacement technologies. The unit was operated for four months, flushing TCE by electroosmosis from the soil into the treatment zones where it was trapped by the activated carbon. The scale up from laboratory units to this field scale was very successful with respect to electrical parameters as weft as electroosmotic flow. Soil samples taken throughout the site before and after the test showed over 98% TCE removal, with most samples showing greater than 99% removal.