Remediation Technologies for Contaminated Sites

Contaminated sites can pose a significant risk to public health and the environment. Many different

insitu

or

ex-situ

remediation technologies have been developed throughout the years to mitigate the risk imposed by soil contamination. These technologies may be contaminant and site specific. Remediation can be achieved by contaminated soil removal, contaminant removal, containment, stabilization/solidification, transformation, or different combinations of these mechanisms. It may also be necessary to apply these technologies in combination to achieve remediation goals, in particular, for cases of contamination by multiple contaminants. Some of the remediation technologies currently available are presented in this invited lecture, in particular, the theory, state of development, applicability, limitations, remediation efficiency, cost effectiveness, and potential side effects of the remediation technologies are presented. Details of performance monitoring are described, criteria on selection of the appropriate remediation technology are given, and remediation cost estimate procedure is outlined. As innovative remediation technologies are being developed continuingly to satisfy various needs, the technologies presented in this invited lecture are by no means exhaustive. Nonetheless, a comprehensive list of references is given for readers interested in particular technologies to conduct their further exploration.