ABSTRACT
Soil washing is a water-based process for mechanically scrubbing soils ex situ to remove undesirable contaminants. The process removes contaminants from soils in one of two ways: by dissolving or suspending them in the wash solution (which is later treated by conventional wastewater treatment methods) or by concentrating them into a smaller volume of soil through simple particle size separation techniques (similar to those used in sand and gravel operations). Soil washing systems incorporating both removal techniques offer the greatest promise for application to soils contaminated with a wide variety of heavy metal and organic contaminants.
The concept of reducing soil contamination through the use of particle size separation is based on the finding that most organic and inorganic contaminants tend to bind, either chemically or physically, to clay and silt soil particles. The silt and clay, in turn, are attached to sand and gravel particles by physical processes, primarily compaction and adhesion. Washing processes that separate the fine (small) clay and silt particles from the coarser sand and gravel soil particles effectively separate and concentrate the contaminants into a smaller volume of soil that can be further treated or disposed. The clean, larger fraction can be returned to the site for continued use. This set of assumptions forms the basis for the volume-reduction concept upon which most soil washing technology applications are being developed.
At the present time, soil washing is used extensively in Europe and has had limited use in the United States. During 1986–1989, the technology was one of the selected source control remedies at eight Superfund sites.
The final determination of the lowest cost alternative will be more site-specific than process equipment dominated. Vendors should be contacted to determine the availability of a unit for a particular site. This chapter provides information on the technology applicability, the types of residuals resulting from the use of the technology, the latest performance data, site requirements, the status of the technology, and where to go for further information.
