The selection of the appropriate Groundwater Remediation technologies depends on many factors. These include local hydrogeological conditions (such as soil permeability and porosity), type of contaminants and impact area. Combining multiple remediation techniques can help achieve an effective treatment. Some of the most commonly used groundwater remediation technologies include:
- Air sparging. Air sparging can be effective for groundwater contaminated by semivolatile and volatile organic compounds. Air sparging, or injecting air into the aquifer, creates turbulence and helps to volatilise contaminants. The air injected into the aquifer also increases the oxygen content in the groundwater, leading to an aerobic degradation of contaminants. For advice on Groundwater Remediation, visit Soil Fix.
- Pump-and-treat. This is the most common groundwater remediation technique. The groundwater is pumped to an aboveground system from the wells in order to remove contaminants such as dissolved chemicals and metals. Fuel oils, industrial solvents, and dissolved chemicals are also removed. Pump-and-treat systems are particularly effective in sites where they can be used over a longer period of time, such as at large industrial facilities that are already operating. This method reduces the plume of contaminants over time, preventing it from reaching wetlands and streams as well as drinking water wells.
- Bioaugmentation/bioventing/biosparging. This method is a quick-fix solution for areas where large equipment may be difficult to access, such as at gas stations and dry-cleaning facilities in residential neighbourhoods. This is a popular remediation method because of its effectiveness, low cost and ability to adapt to specific site conditions. The microorganisms are used to metabolise organic contaminants in tanks, land farms, biopiles and other treatment systems.
