Why use Ozone technology for Soil Remediation?
Ozone treatment has evolved from water treatment to soil remediation. Recently, ozone has been used to clean up sites containing variety of soil contaminants. The reason for using ozone is to target those compounds that are not biodegradable or the ones which are biodegradable over a long period of time.
Many hydrocarbon compounds will biodegrade if they are dissolved, although these contaminants are not readily biodegraded by microorganisms if they are are on soil particles. This is where using ozone technology can help the soil remediation process.
In addition to other reasons in some cases ozone soil remediation method is selected because of the network of water pipes and utility lines through a site makes it impossible to excavate the contaminated soil.
Often, when treated with ozone sites show 99% reduction of contaminants which is pretty incredible.
Key Benefits of Soil Remediation with Ozone
- Low capital equipment costs
- Minimal site disturbance during installation
- Low on-site profile
- Low operating costs
- In-situ destruction of targeted components
- Rapid decrease of contaminant mass and concentration in soil and water - impressive results may be seen in weeks
- No vapor control necessary - contaminants are destroyed rather than transferred from one phase to another
- Clean reaction - no hazardous by-product formation. Micro-bubble size and means of introduction into the interstitial spaces of the formation ensures maximum contact with contaminant.
- Micro-bubbles act to extract VOCs from groundwater and soil pores which reduces soil oxidative demand common to liquid oxidants
Soil Contaminants Destroyed by Ozone
- MTBE
- BTEX
- Hydrocarbons
- Diesel Fuel
- TCE
- Pesticides
- Chlorinated Solvents
- VOC's
- Aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons
Soil contaminated with oil and fuel
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Soil after treatment with Ozone
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Key Ozone Features:
- 12 times more soluble than oxygen in water
- Moves easily through the soil
- Produced on-site, no need for hazardous chemical transportation or storage
- Most powerful oxidizer available
- Complex organics break down to carbon dioxide or less toxic molecules
- Breaks down to oxygen which increases DO levels