Electrochemical Processes for In-situ Treatment of Contaminated Soils

Characterization and Remediation of Soils and Sediments Polluted with Mercury: Occurrence, Transformations, Environmental Considerations and San Joaquin’s Sierra Gorda Case

“…Indeed, for efficient mercury removal from a saturated soil with electroremediation, application of either an electric field or direct current through two electrodes (anode and cathode) is required. These are usually inserted in wells containing a supporting electrolyte made from inert salts, leading to improved electric field conductive properties (Rajeshwar et al, 1994;Huang et al, 2001;Acar and Alshawabkeh, 1993).…”

“…Furthermore, since electroremediation is a physicochemical technique based on ion transport, it is an excellent tool for the removal of inorganic species, such as Hg +2 (Rajeshwar et al, 1994;Bustos, 2013). The main advantages of electroremediation, as compared with other soil treatment procedures, are (Huang et al, 2001;Acar and Alshawabkeh, 1993;Ibañez et al, 1998;Segall and Bruell, 1992;Cabrera -Guzmán et al, 1990): (1) electroosmotic flow is not dependent on either pore or particle size, (2) hydraulic gradient is enhanced by electromigration, (3) treatment can be applied in situ, (4) it can be applied to low permeability soils, (5) there is minimal disruption of normal activities at the site, (6) the required investment is usually lower than that for other conventional treatments, and (7) it can be applied in conjunction with techniques such as pumping, vacuum extraction or bioremediation.…”

Influence of EDTA on the Electrochemical Removal of Mercury (II) in Soil from San Joaquín, Querétaro, México

“…Indeed, for efficient mercury removal from a saturated soil using electroremediation treatments, the application of either an electric field or direct current through two electrodes (anode and cathode) is required. The electrodes are usually inserted in wells containing a supporting electrolyte made from inert salts, leading to improved electric field conductive properties [8].…”

“…Furthermore, since EKT is a physicochemical technique based on ion transport, it is an excellent tool for the removal of inorganic species, such as Hg +2 [9]. The main advantages of EKT, as compared with other soil treatment procedures, are [8]: (1) the electroosmotic flow is not dependent on either the pore or particle size, (2) the hydraulic gradient is enhanced by electromigration, (3) the treatment can be applied in situ, (4) it can be applied to low permeability soils, (5) there is minimal disruption of normal activities at the site, (6) the required investment is usually lower than that for other conventional treatments, and (7) it can be applied in conjunction with techniques such as pumping, vacuum extraction or bioremediation. The processes taking place during EKT can be classified into two main categories: (a) processes occurring as a consequence of the applied electric potential.…”

Environmental influences of mercury ore processing - Case studies selected at Slovenian, Mexican, Hungarian group meeting in Idrija in July 2012

“…Indeed, the application of either an electric field or direct current through two electrodes (anode and cathode) is required in electroremediation to efficiently remove mercury from a saturated soil. Usually, the electrodes are inserted into wells that contain a supporting electrolyte made from inert salts for improved electric field conduction (Rajeshwar et al, 1994;Huang et al, 2001;Acar & Alshawabkeh, 1993). This study focuses on implementing mercury electroremediation in the San Joaquin region.…”