Groundwater and soil contamination have become major environmental issues. Man-made pollution has led to the almost systemic presence of a cocktail of different types of pollutants, both organic and inorganic pollutants, in contaminated soils. For example, pesticides and chlorinated compounds, and inorganic contaminants, such as heavy metals and nitrates in groundwater. The increasing strength of legislation related to groundwater quality urges the implementation of new, efficient and cost-effective purification solutions.

There are different decontamination technologies in soil remediation projects that can result in contaminated water and/or air streams which need to be treated prior to discharge into the environment. There are several different technologies that can lead to contaminated water streams. They include:

• Water from a pump and treatment process can be contaminated with organics and heavy metals
• Treatment of condensed vapour coming from the air of the electrically heated soil

The Jacobi Services mobile filters from the AquaFlow™ range filled with different media are used to treat groundwater in soil remediation projects. Contaminants that can be found in ground sanitation projects are, for example:

• Organic contaminants, in most cases expressed as sum parameter such as:
  • AOX (Adsorbable organic halogenated compounds)
  • TOC (Total organic carbon)
• Specific organic contaminants
  • Aromatic hydrocarbons, including BTEX: benzene, ethylbenzene toluene, and xylene
  • Halogenated hydrocarbons
  • Mineral oils
  • Pesticides and herbicides

Other organic contaminants often found are PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) such as PFOS (perfluoro-octane-sulphonate) and PFOA (perfluoro-octanoic acid). PFOS and PFOA are both now classified as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP).

• Inorganic contaminants
  • Heavy metals
  • Perchlorate

The Jacobi Services mobile filters type AquaFlow™ and different media are also used for air treatment in soil remediation projects.