The importance of caring for the environment cannot be understated, and sometimes we need to intervene in more drastic manners, such as through environmental remediation. This is the process of removing contaminants and other harmful materials from the surrounding environment. Examples of such contaminants include soil and sediment, as well as groundwater and surface water. The environmental team at Borehole Solutions would like to explain about their remedial work in more detail.
Methods of Environmental Remediation
Remedial action involves a vast range of different processes, including the following:
Excavation
One of the simplest remedial techniques is excavation. Most of the time, no chemicals or solutions are required – we can use a good old-fashioned digger to transport contaminated material to landfill. However, excavation isn’t always this easy; sometimes it may be necessary to use complex aeration and oxidation techniques.
It is important to note that we must first establish which type of landfill is suitable for the excavated waste. For more information on this process, you can check out our previous blog post on Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) testing, here! Another method is known as dredging, which is the marine alternative to excavation when the contaminated material is found within a riverbed’s silt.
Pump and Treat
Pump and treat is a well-established environmental remediation technique, although it is not the most common due to its relatively slow speed and the expense of treating the contaminants. As expected, the process involves pumping out the contaminated groundwater for either subsequent treating or disposal of.
Bioremediation
Bioremediation is a fairly uncommon method due to its complexity. Furthermore, there is a lack of implemented policy frameworks, meaning it can be difficult to apply even if it would be beneficial for the project. The technique involves the growth of microorganisms as a means of degrading the pollutants and contaminants in the environment.
Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation (SEAR)
SEAR can be used to enhance the conventional pump and treat environmental remediation method. It involves injecting surfactant solution into the contaminated zone. The surfactant molecules dissolve the typically insoluble contaminants within groundwater – an effective and quick method to cleanse the area of pollutants.
Asbestos Removal
A well-known form of contamination testing is the process of testing for asbestos. This is mainly due to its previous prevalence as a construction material, until it was banned in 1999 with the UK chrysotile asbestos ban. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, so it must be dealt with safely by qualified contractors.
Services at Borehole Solutions
The professional team at Borehole Solutions has an extensive knowledge and years of experience with environmental remediation services, for both soil and water. Aside from those mentioned above, our services also include:
- Solidification
- Vent trenching
- Active gas extraction systems
- Hydrogen Releasing Compounds (HRCs)
- Oxygen Releasing Compounds (ORCs)
- Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs)
- Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA)
- Redox (reducing agents)
- Stabilisation
- Soil washing
- Thermal desorption
- Solvent (free product) recovery
Get in Touch
If you would like to find out more about our environmental remediation services, then contact us today! You can contact Borehole Solutions on 01733 200 501 or by emailing us at info@boreholesolutions.com.
