Soil Remediation Using Mixing and Handling

At a Glance

Mechanism:	Treatable Contaminants:	Concentrations:
Physical mixing increases contact with reagents resulting in more effective treatment	Treats petroleum-based and chlorinated contaminants	Treats moderate to high concentrations
Time:	Conditions:	Applications Frequency:
Rapid treatment time (weeks to months)	Requires homogenization of soils, adequate saturation, optimal soil particle size	Multiple events or passes may be required

Soil Mixing and Handling Overview

Soil remediation using mixing and handling is a process of physically blending and mixing soil, contaminant and reagent using specialized equipment to facilitate treatment. This practice can be efficiently performed in-place within the top 10-12 feet of soil (above the water table) or, alternatively, the soil can be excavated, moved and mixed in another location as needed.

Soil type, porosity, moisture content and types of equipment used to mix the soil often play a key role in the success or failure of soil remediation projects. In many cases, water is added to the homogenized soil during the mixing or reagent addition stage. The amount of soil moisture available can directly affect reagent reactivity while influencing contact with the contaminant. Some soil types with low porosity like clays and silts are bound up more tightly making it more difficult to establish contact between the reagent and contaminant. Sand and gravel have a high porosity allowing solution-based reagents to flow freely and come in contact with contaminants more easily.

When mixing or handling a range of different soil, specialized equipment is often used to manage the soil particle size. The use of a pug mill or soil shredder can be beneficial when dealing with tighter soil types requiring more treatment.

Soil remediation using mixing and handling techniques is highly compatible with the use of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) reagents and bioremediation products. Overall, this approach allows soil remediation practitioners to save time and money by treating the contaminants in place and avoiding off-site disposal costs.

REGENESIS has been helping remediation practitioners optimize soil mixing projects for over 20 years. We welcome the opportunity to provide you and your team with the tools you need to successfully plan and execute enhanced treatment at your next soil remediation project.

If you currently have a project and need a remediation solution now, request a design.

Have questions or want to explore some ideas, Contact Us to get in touch with a local representative.

Learn More

• For more detailed information about our soil remediation experience using mixing and handling, have a look at this Case Study.