Tanto si continua a discutere di “biodegradabile”. Biodegradabile è una parola che rimane nella “Top 20” di quelle che sento ogni giorno. Quasi tutto, oggi, sembra essere biodegradabile, biologico, ecocompatibile. E – giustamente – si preoccupano pure di farmelo sapere.

Non fraintendetemi, sono sempre attento e contento quando vedo sforzi e realizzazioni in questo senso da parte dell’industria, spinta da consumatori esigenti.
Spesso però, ho l’impressione che si cerchino di by-passare i problemi reali, tamponando con prodotti/soluzioni scenografiche, gli effetti devastanti di stili di vita e di comportamenti alquanto discutibili e, purtroppo, molto diffusi.
Ad esempio: ben venga la bottiglia di plastica totalmente biodegradabile, ma perchè non migliorare la qualità dell’acqua potabile, rendere più efficiente la rete idrica, o – al limite - incentivare le famiglie ad installare depuratori domestici?

Comunque: un composto si dice biodegradabile quando può essere scomposto in elementi semplici e rientrare nel ciclo naturale.I rifiuti biodegradabili possono essere infatti attaccati dai batteri/microrganismi decompositori che li trasformano in sostanze più semplici le quali, dopo un certo periodo di tempo, vengono completamente assorbite dal terreno (i rifiuti organici - ad esempio - sono di origine naturale, quindi biodegradabili).

Vi inoltro stralci - a casaccio - provenienti delle rassegne stampa che la Fede puntualmente mi inoltra (grazie!)

Arrivarono i telefoni biodegradabili (parzialmente):

I telefoni cellulari di nuova generazione, oltre a tutti i vari optional, saranno dotati anche di seconda vita. Più precisamente una volta buttati, germoglieranno, diventeranno dei fiori a vostra scelta. E' la novità annunciata da un gruppo di ricercatori inglesi dell'Università di Warwick, che hanno creato il primo cellulare biodegradabile: una volta gettato, un seme incastonato nella cover (ben visibile dietro una finestrella trasparente) sboccerà ai primi tepori della primavera.L'iniziativa ha preso spunto dalla constatazione che i cellulari sono diventati uno degli articoli tecnologici più rapidamente usati e sostituiti. Il che ha posto il problema del riciclaggio degli apparecchi scartati, per evitare che questi si disperdano nell'ambiente e vadano a incidere sull'ecosistema. Così il gruppo di ricercatori, guidati dal dottor Kerry Kirwan, in collaborazione con la società Pvaxx Richerche & Sviluppo, che si occupa di materiali tecnologici, e Motorola, hanno creato una cover che dispersa nell'ambiente, si decompone, liberando il semino nascosto, che potrà mettere radici.«Si tratta di una piccola innovazione nell'industria della telefonia cellulare, ma importante: il consumatore sarà felice di acquistare un prodotto che non inciderà in modo negativo sull'ambiente» ha dichiarato Kerry Kirwan. La ricerca sui materiali adatti da utilizzare è stata complessa, ma alla fine il team ha creato una forma di polimero altamente biodegradabile, ma al contempo di elevata qualità e resistente all'utilizzo. Contemporaneamente gli assistenti tecnici della Warwicks, hanno compiuto una ricerca su quali tipi di semi si presentano più adatti, a livello biologico, per rimanere anche a lungo in un luogo chiuso prima di germogliare. «Nel prototipo della nostra cover abbiamo posto dei semi di girasole nano» ha aggiunto Kirwan «ma presto gli utenti potranno scegliere in quale fiore si trasformerà il proprio cellulare, dalle gardenie alle rose». Secondo le previsioni dei ricercatori e della Motorola i primi telefoni biodegradabili potranno essere lanciati sul mercato già l'anno prossimo, ma ancora non si può prevedere quale sarà il costo. Insomma useremo un telefono che dal momento dell'acquisto, porta in sè il seme della propria seconda vita. Non si getterà più il cellulare rotto, lo si pianterà sul balcone.
Fonte: Corriere.it , 1 dicembre 2004

I batteri divoratori di stirene:

Il suo nome Pseudomonas putida non promette un granché bene, ma l’attuale tecnologia permette di ottenere risultati sorprendenti da questo batterio. Lo hanno dimostrato i ricercatori dello University College di Dublino che hanno scoperto come questi microrganismi possano vivere nutrendosi di solo stirene – un idrocarburo aromatico da cui si ricavano numerosi prodotti tra cui il polistirene e l’ABS – e di convertire un problema ambientale in un’opportunità industriale.Nel corso della ricerca Keniv O’Connor e i suoi colleghi hanno trasformato il polistirene (o polistirolo) in stirene mediante pirolisi, un processo in cui questa plastica a base di petrolio viene riscaldata fino a 520 gradi Celsius in assenza di ossigeno. Il risultato è un cocktail chimico costituito per più dell’80 per cento da stirene più altre sostanze tossiche; il prodotto è stato somministrato a una coltura di Pseudomonas putida CA-3, un ceppo speciale di questo comune batterio, pur sapendo che l’olio avrebbe dovuto essere ulteriormente raffinato per permettere ai batteri di crescere. Invece, inaspettatamente, i batteri sembravano prosperare con questa dieta, trasformando 64 grammi di stirene non purificato in circa 3 grammi di nuovi batteri. Nel processo, i batteri hanno immagazzinato al loro interno 1,6 grammi di poliidrossialcanoato o PHA, una plastica che nell’ambiente naturale si degrada in modo molto più facile rispetto ad altri prodotti ricavati dal petrolio. Il processo fornisce come risultato alcuni prodotti di scarto come il toluene e richiede una notevole quantità di energia per portare avanti la pirolisi, ma si spera possa portare al riciclaggio di materiali difficili da smaltire come il polistirolo.
Fonte: Le Scienze (28/02/2006)

Che dire dei funghi anti P.O.P.(persistent organic pollutants) ?

Le resine fenoliche sono comunemente usate sia come adesivi industriali sia per la fabbricazione di oggetti, e in special modo parti della carrozzeria delle automobili. Queste resine sono ottenute da fenolo e formaldeide trattati in condizioni di temperature e pressione elevate in presenza di catalizzatori, e le loro catene molecolari vanno a formare strutture notevolmente intrecciate e difficili da rompere. A differenza di altre plastiche non possono essere rifuse e il loro smaltimento rappresenta un problema. Alcuni ricercatori del Dipartimento di biologia dell’Università del Wisconsin - La Crosse hanno scoperto che il fungo Phanerochaete chrysosporium è in grado di digerire queste resine, finora considerate refrattarie a qualsiasi forma di biodegradazione. Il fungo – chè è già noto per essere in grado di decomporre inquinanti come il DDT, il PCB, il TNT e le diossine, per compiere il suo compito di spazzino della plastica sfrutta un enzima, la ligninasi, che normalmente utilizza per degradare la lignina. Esso si è però dimostrato attivo anche contro le resine fenoliche, in quanto la loro struttura molecolare ha punti di contatto con quella della lignina. I ricercatori – che hanno pubblicato la loro scoperta sulla rivista on line della American Chemical Society – avvertono però che per l’impiego del fungo a questo tipo di rifiuti è necessario superare ancora vari problemi, fra i quali l’isolamento di queste plastiche dagli altri materiali. Il fungo riciclatore, per esempio, soccombe in presenza di elevati quantitativi di metalli pesanti.
Fonte: Le Scienze (31/05/2006)


Qualcuno cerca addirittura di rendere più appetitoso il pranzo ai batteri:

Un team di chimici indiani del National Chemical Laboratory di Pune, hanno reso biodegradabile la plastica semplicemente aggiungendo degli zuccheri. Uno stratagemma che rende la plastica commestibile per i batteri e quindi biodegradabile in pochi giorni rispetto ai decenni della normale plastica industriale, come il polistirene (confezioni prodotti per l'elettronica), il polietilene (sacchetti e bottiglie) e il polipropilene (imballaggi alimentari) che costituiscono circa un quinto del volume totale dei rifiuti abbandonati nelle grandi città. La mescolazione allo stirene di una particolare sostanza, che riesce a unire chimicamente saccarosio e glucosio, ha permesso di aggiungere zuccheri alle catene di stirene. La massa di zucchero presente nel polimero è inferiore del 3 per cento. Nel momento in cui i batteri si nutrono dello zucchero causano la frantumazione della catena. I ricercatori dovranno ora eseguire alcuni accertamenti come, ad esempio, accertare la biodegradabilità della sostanza in sostanze atossiche. Inoltre, il processo produce biossido di carbonio, acqua e, lungo il percorso, acidi organici, aldeidi.
Fonte: National Chemical Laboratory di Pune

Altri pensano ai piedi (eco-sustainable fashion?):

Si tratta di una scarpa totalmente biodegradabile realizzata utilizzando materiali privi di sostanze nocive o allergizzanti come cromo, mercurio e pentaclorofenolo (PCF). Il cuoio usato è conciato vegetalmente, i plantari sono in cuoio o sughero, il filo per cucire è misto cotone e la tomaia in pelle è colorata senza sostanze tossiche. E' stata presentata al Sana nei giorni passati e nasce da un'idea dell'associazione “Un punto macrobiotico” di Fermo che ne ha commissionato la produzione all'azienda calzaturiera "IN di Ripani Mirella e C. S.n.c." di Monte Urano, in provincia di Ascoli Piceno. La scarpa sarà venduta al pubblico a un prezzo di 80/90 euro che potrà scendere sensibilmente se acquistata direttamente in fabbrica o attraverso "Filieracorta Picena", lo sportello attivato dalla Provincia di Ascoli per mettere in contatto diretto consumatori e produttori agricoli bio del Piceno.
Fonte: ??

Io sono contento, molto contento. Andiamo avanti per questa strada, ci mancherebbe altro. Però l'altro giorno, al bar, chiaccherando di questi argomenti, mi ha fatto riflettere la perla di saggezza del “mio” barista:

“INGEGNERE, SA UNA COSA? ANCHE LA MIA MERDA E' BIODEGRADABILE MA NON LA BUTTO CERTO IN GIRO PER LA STRADA”

Quanta ragione hai, Ennio!
Statemi bene.

zespri

Recently, I started to tell some tales to my son, before he goes to sleep. I soon found myself in shortage of good novels and fairy tales, which usually I tell by heart, as I remember them from my childhood. This turned out to be not so good, for he's listening to the full correct version at the kindergarten and remarks promplty all the deviations he finds in my "adapted" versions. So instead of falling asleep, he has much fun in criticize the poor storyteller.

So I took out some books from my pre-teen age, wich offer the possibilities of a more structured plot, divided into rather short chapters. Of course pirates tales are his favourite ones, but I re-discovered also Jules Verne. This man was a genius! So we're reading together "Around the World in 80 Days". It's incredible, I still feel the "thrill" myself! Do You remember?

Phileas Fogg

Phileas Fogg lives at No. 7 Saville-Row, Burlington Gardens, a fashionable upmarket area of 1870's London. He is quite wealthy, although none of the other characters in the novel know how he acquired his money. He does not appear to have any occupation and very little is known about his earlier life (the novel specifies on occasions that he is a natural sailor, but the reasons for this remain unknown. Likewise, he appears to be well-travelled, but the details of his past travels remain elusive). Despite his mysterious and vague background, Mr Fogg is highly knowledgable about a great variety of subjects and analyzes every news story with impeccable logic. Due to his large fortune and excellent credit history, Mr Fogg is a member of the Reform Club on Pall Mall, an exclusive political establishment for liberally-minded men. Mr Fogg does not have any surviving relatives and by his own admission, does not have very many friends, apart from a circle of men at the Reform Club with whom he regularly plays his favourite game of whist.
Mr Fogg lives alone, with one manservant, in his house on Saville-Row, which is modern and comfortable but fairly cold and uninviting. Phileas Fogg appears to use his house only for sleeping, and spends every day at the Reform Club, where he takes his meals and spends his time reading newspapers and playing whist.
He appears to be familiar with a variety of topics which seem out-of-character for a member of London's high society. When served with a suspicious rabbit pie at an Indian railway restaurant, he clearly identifies the pie as being made with cat meat, which one would not expect a member of the Reform Club to be familiar with. Mr Fogg exhibits remarkable courage, selflessness, and chivalry at several points in the novel - after winning the small fortune of twenty guineas at whist, he does not keep the money but gives it to a beggar he passes in the street. In India, he risks his wager and life to rescue Aouda from death, and when his train is attacked by Sioux warriors in the United States, he again risks his wager and life to lead a military mission to rescue Passepartout from the Sioux. In San Francisco, Mr Fogg bravely defends Aouda from drunken revellers using only his fists, and when faced with the prospect of a duel, accepts the offer without flinching. In many respects, Phileas Fogg fits the stereotype of the "stiff upper lip" eccentric English gentleman.
In terms of personality and social actions, Phileas Fogg appears on the surface to be a cold and obsessive character. His personal life is strictly governed by bizarre and neurotically precise standards, such as the exact temperature of his morning toast and the number of steps it takes him to walk from his house to the Reform Club each day. At the beginning of the novel, it is revealed that Mr Fogg's strict demands have driven his manservant, James Forster, into a nervous breakdown, prompting Mr Fogg to hire Passepartout. When Passepartout arrives at the house for his job interview, he finds Mr Fogg sitting like a statue in his silent living room, watching one of his innumerable clocks. He retains this composure throughout most of the novel, until rescuing the beautiful Indian princess Aouda, with whom he falls in love. By the end of the novel, Aouda's influence has prompted Phileas Fogg to abandon his cold and mechanical exterior, and the novel ends with him having become a warm and kind character, happy and content in his new life with Aouda.

The Reform Club

The Reform Club was originally a private gentlemen's club situated on the south side of Pall Mall (at number 104), in central London. It has admitted ladies since 1981. In 1977 its subscriptions were amongst the highest in London.
It was founded in 1836 by Edward Ellice (1783-1863), a Whig Whip, whose riches came from the Hudson Bay Company but whose zeal was chiefly devoted to securing the passage of the Reform Act 1832. The new club, for members of both Houses of Parliament, was meant to be a centre for the radical ideas which that Bill represented; a bastion of liberal and progressive thought which became closely associated with the Liberal Party, which had largely succeeded the Whigs by the middle of the 19th Century. Brooks's Club, the headquarters of the old Whig aristocracy, was not prepared to open its doors to a flood of new men, so preliminary meetings were held in Ellice's own house to plan a much larger club, which would promote "the social intercourse of the Reformers of the United Kingdom". To this day, candidates for the club are required to express their support for the principles of the Reform Act. When a Liberal Member of Parliament "crossed the floor" to join or work with another party, he was expected to resign from the club.
Until the decline of the Liberal Party, it was de rigeur for Liberal MPs to be members of the Reform club, which almost constituted another party headquarters, although the National Liberal Club, formed under Gladstone's Chairmanship, was established in 1882, designed to be more 'inclusive', and was geared more towards Liberal grandees and activists in the country.
The building, like its neighbour the Travellers Club, (number 106), was designed by Sir Charles Barry and opened in 1841. The new club was palatial - literally - the design being based on the Farnese Palace in Rome. The Reform was one of the first clubs to have bedrooms, and its library contains some 50,000 books, mostly political history and biography.
With the decline of the Liberal Party in the mid-20th century, the club increasingly drew its membership from civil servants in the Treasury, as a counterpart to the neighbouring Travellers Club, which became synonymous with Foreign Office officials.


The proposed "round-the-world" trip schedule:

London / Suez - rail and steamer (7 days)
Suez / Bombay - steamer (13 days)
Bombay / Calcutta - rail (3 days)
Calcutta / Hong Kong - steamer (13 days)
Hong Kong / Yokohama - steamer (6 days)
Yokohama / San Francisco - steamer (22 days)
San Francisco / New York - rail (7 days)
New York / London - steamer (9 days)
Total: 80 days

The whole Plot

Fogg accepts a wager for £20,000 from his fellow club members, which he will receive if he makes it around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by his manservant Passepartout, he leaves London by train at 8.45 p.m. on October 2, 1872, and thus is due back at the Reform Club at the same time 80 days later, on December 21.
Fogg and Passepartout reach Suez in time. While disembarking in Egypt, he is watched by a Scotland Yard detective named Fix, who has been dispatched from London in search of a bank robber. Because Fogg matches the description of the bank robber, Fix mistakes Fogg to be the criminal. Since he cannot secure a warrant in time, Fix goes on board of the steamer conveying the travelers to Bombay. During the voyage, Fix gets acquainted with Passepartout, without revealing his purpose.
Still on time, Fogg and Passepartout switch to the railway in Bombay, setting off for Calcutta, Fix now following them undercover. As it turns out, the construction of the railway is not totally finished, so they are forced to get over the remaining gap between two stations by riding an elephant, which Phileas Fogg purchases at the prodigious price of 2,000 pounds.
During the ride, they come across a suttee procession, in which a young Parsi woman, Aouda, is led to a sanctuary to be sacrificed the next day. Since the young woman is drugged with the smoke of opium and hemp and obviously not going voluntarily, the travelers decide to rescue her. They follow the procession to the site, where Passepartout secretly takes the place of Aouda's deceased husband on the funeral pyre, on which she is to be burned the next morning. During the ceremony, he then rises from the pyre, scaring off the priests, and carries the young woman away.
The travelers then hasten on to catch the train at the next railway station, taking Aouda, with them. At Calcutta, they finally board a steamer going to Hong Kong. Fix, who had secretly been following them, has Fogg and Passepartout arrested in Calcutta. But they jump bail and Fix is forced to follow them to Hong Kong. On board, he shows himself to Passepartout, who is delighted to meet again his traveling companion from the earlier voyage.
In Hong Kong, it turns out that Aouda's distant relative in whose care they had been planning to leave her there, has moved, likely to Holland, so they decide to take her with them to Europe. Meanwhile, still without a warrant, Fix sees Hong Kong as his last chance to arrest Fogg on British soil. He therefore confides in Passepartout, who does not believe a word and remains convinced that his master is not a bank robber. To prevent Passepartout from informing his master about the premature departure of their next vessel, Fix gets Passepartout drunk and drugs him in an opium den. In his dizziness, Passepartout yet manages to catch the steamer to Yokohama, but neglects to inform Fogg.
Fogg, on the next day, discovers that he has missed his connection. He goes in search of a vessel which will take him to Yokohama. He finds a pilot boat which takes him and his companions (Aouda and Fix) to Shanghai, where they catch a steamer to Yokohama. In Yokohama, they go on a search for Passepartout, believing that he may have arrived there with the original connection. They find him in a circus, trying to earn his homeward journey.
Reunited, the four board on a steamer taking them across the Pacific to San Francisco. Fix promises Passepartout that now, having left British soil, he will no longer try to delay Fogg's journey, but rather support him in getting back to Britain as fast as possible (to have him arrested there).
In San Francisco, they get on the train to New York. During that trip, the train is attacked by Native Americans, who take Passepartout and two other passengers hostage. Fogg is now faced with the dilemma of continuing his tour, or going to rescue Passepartout. He chooses the latter, starting on a rescue mission with some soldiers of a nearby fort, who succeed in freeing the hostages. To make up for the lost time, Fogg and his companions hire a sledge, which brings them to Omaha, Nebraska, where they arrive just in time to get on a train to Chicago, Illinois, and then another to New York. However, reaching New York, they learn that the steamer for Liverpool they had been trying to catch has left a short time before.
On the next day, Fogg starts looking for an alternative for the crossing of the Atlantic. He finds a small steam boat, destined for Bordeaux. However, the captain of the boat refuses to take the company to Liverpool, wherupon Fogg consents to be taken to Bordeaux. On the voyage, he bribes the crew to mutiny and take course for Liverpool. Going on full steam all the time, the boat runs out of fuel after a few days. Fogg buys the boat at a very high price from the captain, soothing him thereby, and has the crew burn all the wooden parts to keep up the steam.
The companions arrive at Queenstown, Ireland, in time to reach London via Dublin and Liverpool before the deadline. However, once on British soil again, Fix produces a warrant and arrests Fogg. A short time later, the misunderstanding is cleared up--the actual bank robber had been caught several days earlier. In response to this, Fogg, in a rare moment of impulse, punches Fix, who immediately falls to the ground. However, Fogg has missed the train and returns to London five minutes late, assured that he has lost the wager.
In his London house the next day, he apologizes to Aouda for bringing her with him, since he now has to live in poverty and cannot financially support her. Aouda suddenly confesses that she loves him and asks him to marry her, which he gladly accepts. He calls for Passepartout to notify the reverend. At the reverend's, Passepartout learns that he is mistaken in the date, which he takes to be Sunday but which actually is Saturday due to the fact that the party traveled east, thereby gaining a full day on their journey around the globe, by crossing the International Date Line.
Passepartout hurries back to Fogg, who immediately sets off for the Reform Club, where he arrives just in time to win the wager. Thus ends the journey around the world.

Wonderful.

Have fun.

BR/zespri

Hej there!

The week started with a big office meeting in Varazze (wow!). Yes, the usual kick-off of the year. I think having this at the beginning of the week it is not so convenient. Thursday and Friday could be more appropriate. The venue anyway was perfect and the weather lovely. I took advantage of the pool and of the "free of charge" drinks. Of course everyone exagerated a bit, but it's part of the game!

Back to real work now.

See you.

zespri

Hello!
WI-FI is finally working now. Tales from Vietnam! It has been tough! It is the first time for me in this Country, though not in South East Asia. We arrived Tuesday, the trip has been good, anyway. We’ll fly back tomorrow. Going out for a walk and to dinner in a while. Last night downtown! Not enough time for sight-seeing, as usual, but we successfully audited the two planned textiles industries.
Ho Chi Minh City was a surprise for me, really nice. Millions of scooters racing down the roads, people selling almost everything everywhere. Smells and fragrances in the air. I had fun. Just few pics here. Maybe I’ll come back for some holidays!

See you.

zespri

I know it disappeared completely from the newspapers, but, heading for a short business-trip to Ho Chi-Minh City, the office has kindly updated me about almost forgotten Bird Flu.

Thanks!! This was the e-mail:

Current Advice for Travelers & Expatriates

Updated 19 July 2006

In May 2006 the largest family cluster in North Sumatra, Indonesia was confirmed, with possibly two generations of human-to-human transmission. Despite this new development, the number of confirmed human cases remains limited. The vast majority of human infections have occurred in people working in or living near poultry farms and animal markets, or in those who have had close unprotected contact with sick family members.The virus has also been detected in pigs, cats and dogs. It is unknown whether avian influenza infection A/H5N1 in species other than birds plays any role in transmission to humans.

There appears to be little risk for travelers and expatriates at this time. Most or all humans infected have been in close contact with sick birds, or had unprotected contact with an infected family member.
Travel can proceed, however it is important to remember in affected countries:

Avoid live animal markets and poultry and pig farms.
Do not handle sick or dead birds.
Avoid and do not handle any sick animals, including cats.
Avoid touching any surfaces that may be contaminated by poultry droppings, and do not swim in any body of water that is used by birds.
Always maintain high levels of personal hygiene. Frequent handwashing is very important. Wash hands before and after food preparation.
The virus has been detected in processed poultry (frozen duck meat). The influenza virus is destroyed by heat. Poultry and poultry products that will be consumed, including eggs, must be thoroughly cooked. The inner temperature of meat must reach 70°C/158° F. NEVER consume raw poultry products, such as raw duck blood. Also thoroughly cook any pork products before consuming.
Consider having a seasonal influenza vaccination. Although this will not protect you against avian flu, it reduces the risk of seasonal influenza. Thus it reduces the chance of becoming co-infected with both seasonal and avian influenza; such co-infection could result in a pandemic strain of flu.

If you travel to - or live in - an area affected by avian flu, be aware of your health. Monitor any symptoms that may occur while there and for 10 days after leaving. If you develop a fever, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulty or any severe, unexplained illness within 10 days of your trip, seek medical attention. Call the health care facility before you go. Tell the staff on the phone where you have traveled, your symptoms and any possible exposures to bird flu.

Have a pleasant trip!!

Ma vaff....!

Hoping to see You again...

BR/zespri

Soil Remediation Technologies

Some recently asked about my experience with soil remediation technologies. Actually it is very little. I only faced one case when we had big deviation and we had to to ask for actions. And a specialized company has been appointed to the task. Of course I have been involved in monitoring the process. Anyway, this is all the knowledge I have at this moment. If You need details just drop me a line.

Bioventing – Injecting oxygen into the ground in order to improve aerobic
biodegradation of contaminants. This is a long term cleanup option lasting from several
months to years. Bioventing is an experimental and innovative technology being
investigated and is used at several cleanup sites.

Purpose: Destruction aid
Pros: Successfully used to improve the remediation of soils contaminated with organic
compounds
Cons: May not improve degradation of chlorinated compounds
In situ/ex situ: In-situ
Contaminants remediated: BTEX compounds, nonhalogenated VOCs, some pesticides,
and wood preservatives


Dehalogenation - The use of chemicals to remove halogens (chlorine, bromine, etc.)
from contaminants. The by-product of dehalogenation is a non-toxic salt, partial
volatilization or decomposition of the contaminant. This is a short to medium term
method of remediation.

Purpose: Contaminant destruction/transformation
Pros: Good for low volume and low concentration contamination, successful in treating
PCB’s
Cons: May not be cost-effective for large treatment volumes, high clay and moisture
content increase costs. Requires air emission equipment and other treatment equipment
In situ/ex situ: Ex situ
Contaminants remediated: VOCs, SVOCs

Fluid/vapor extraction - Liquid and gas are removed from the ground using a high
vacuum system in extraction wells. Treatment of the removed contaminants is required.

Purpose: Removal
Pros: May shorten cleanup time at sites with VOC and fuel contamination
Cons: May not work well at heterogeneous sites, water and vapor must be treated
In situ/ex situ: Ex situ
Contaminants remediated: VOCs, some SVOCs


Geotechnical Systems- use of building foundations, storage facilities, etc. to minimize
exposure to contaminants and prevent rainwater from entering the wastes and creating
leachate. The building acts as a cap.

Purpose: Containment
Pros: Reduced remediation costs (separate remediation processes are not required, the
structure provides the containment)
Cons: Does not reduce contaminant volume, toxicity or mobility, if groundwater is
contaminated vertical walls may be required increasing costs
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: All


Incineration – Burning wastes in order to destroy contaminants by volatilization and
combustion.

Purpose: Contaminant destruction
Pros: Proven technology, destroys large number of contaminants
Cons: Only one off-site incinerator approved for PCB and dioxin, potential transportation
costs, bottom ash may require stabilization if heavy metals are incinerated, requires
excavation, additional treatment may be required for soils with volatile metals
In situ/ex situ: Ex situ
Contaminants remediated: VOCs, SVOCs, fuels and explosives


Landfill Cap/Brownfields Cap - a covering over a site that minimizes exposure to
contaminants and prevents rainwater from entering the wastes and creating leachate.
There are 3 major types of landfill caps. A RCRA Subtitle C landfill cap is for hazardous
waste landfills, a RCRA Subtitle D landfill cap is used on sanitary landfills. The last type
of cap is an asphalt, concrete, or topsoil cap.

Purpose: Containment
Pros: Asphalt/concrete cap is low cost, been approved at numerous sites
Cons: Does not reduce contaminant volume, toxicity or mobility, if groundwater is
contaminated vertical walls may be required increasing costs, cap may develop leaks over
time
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: All


Natural Attenuation (IT) – Allows nature to reduce or remove the level of contaminants
in the ground. Some examples of natural attenuation are biodegradation, dilution,
dispersion or adsorption in the soil. When analyzing this method for use exposure
pathways and property use must be looked at closely.

Purpose: Contaminant destruction, dilution and/or containment
Pros: Low maintenance, low cost
Cons: Typically a slow process, long term monitoring of the site required, may require
extensive site characterization
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: Some VOCs, BTEX compounds


Off-site disposal – Soil is excavated and transported to an off-site disposal location
which meets regulatory requirements for hazardous waste disposal. The waste may
require pre-treatment prior to acceptance by the disposal site.

Purpose: Containment
Pros: Proven method, relatively cheap
Cons: Cost may increase due to shipping to a permitted facility, regulatory agencies
prefer treatment, waste may require treatment prior to disposal
In situ/ex situ: Ex situ
Contaminants remediated: All

Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) – A method of removing volatile and some semivolatile
organic contaminants from nonsaturated soil (vadose zone) by applying a vacuum to the
soil through extraction wells. The contaminants are removed from the ground to undergo
further treatment.

Purpose: Remove contaminants from the ground
Pros: Presumptive or generic remedy, relatively inexpensive, may increase
bioremediation when used in conjunction with air sparging, no excavation required,
highly effective in VOC removal
Cons: Treatment time slows in heterogeneous soils, heating the soil and air sparging may
be required, need to control air emissions
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: VOCs, some SVOCs


Soil Flushing – A process where a solution is injected in the ground in order to move
the contaminants to an area where they may be extracted from the ground and treated.
This is a developing technology which so far has seen limited success.

Purpose: Aid in making contaminants readily accessible for treatment
Pros: Portable technology, excavation not required
Cons: Limited success, groundwater flow must be understood completely to prevent
spreading contamination further
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: VOCs, SVOCs, some metals, fuels, pesticides

Thermal desorption – Contaminants with low boiling points are vaporized by heating
wastes to moderate temperatures. Steam injection, electrical resistance heating and radiofrequency
heating may be used to raise soil temperatures. These temperatures range from
200° to 1000°_F depending on the contaminant to be vaporized. Thermal desorption is
only an aid in contaminant, it is typically used in conjunction with SVE in order to
increase the amount of contaminants removed from the soil.

Purpose: Aid in removing contaminants from the ground
Pros: Steam injection effectively removes petroleum hydrocarbons (BTEX), electrical
heating works well in fine grained soils
Cons: Innovative technology, full recovery of contaminant may be difficult, may not
work well in heterogeneous soils, high moisture content in soil increases costs, requires
treatment of off-gas
In situ/ex situ: Both may be used in situ or ex situ following excavation
Contaminants remediated: SVOCs, PAHs, PCBs and pesticides. May also be effective in
separating organics from coal tar wastes, refinery wastes, wood-treating wastes, paint
wastes and synthetic rubber processing waste.

Soil Washing – Soil is excavated and washed with water to remove contaminants.
Additives may be added to the water to enhance contaminant removal. The soil may
have to go through several remediation cycles to remove the contaminant. The wash
water must then undergo treatment to remediate the contaminants. The cleaned soil may
then be used as fill on site.

Purpose: Contaminant removal
Pros: cost effective, can reduce volume of contaminated soil
Cons: washing solution may be difficult to formulate for complex waste mixtures, soil
may require pretreatment, washing fluid requires treatment, organics may be difficult to
remove from clay-size particles
In situ/ex situ: Ex-situ
Contaminants removed: SVOC, fuels, heavy metals

Solvent extraction (IT) – Soil is excavated, screened to remove rocks and debris, and
then added to an extraction unit. In the extraction unit a solvent is added to the soil in
order to remove organic contaminants and segregate the different fractions (ie. water, oil
and soil layers). The mixture of water, solids, and solvent absorb different contaminants.
Each fraction is then separated and processed in order to remediate the contaminants that
collect in them.

Purpose: Contaminant removal
Pros: Reduces waste volume, operates without air emissions equipment
Cons: Inorganic contaminants may affect removal of solvents, systems may be complex
increasing engineering costs, extensive pretreatment of soil may be required
In situ/ex situ: Ex situ
Contaminants removed: organic contaminants from paint wastes, synthetic rubber
process wastes, coal tar wastes, drilling muds, wood treating wastes, pesticide/insecticide
wastes, and oily wastes


Stabilization/Solidification - Using cement, concrete, chemical fixation, etc to stabilize
or physically bind contaminants. The solid mass limits the solubility or mobility of the
contaminants though it doesn't destroy them.

Purpose: Containment
Pros: Relatively cheap, established vendor base,
Cons: Some processes may increase waste volume, solidified material may affect future
site use, depth of contamination may affect options
In situ/ex situ: Both
Contaminants remediated: Metals, radionuclides

Biodegradation or Bioremediation – Breaking down of contaminants by fungi, bacteria,
and other microbes. The microbes use the contaminants as food, typically producing
carbon dioxide, water and cells as the byproducts of the degradation. Some contaminants
may only be partially degraded to another substance. These substances may be more
toxic than the original contaminant in some cases. The microbes may be introduced into
the ground or may be native organisms.

Purpose: Contaminant degradation
Pros: Low maintenance, destroys contaminants, utilizes natural processes
Cons: Organism growth dependent on many factors, toxic by-products may be produced
In situ/ex situ: Both
Contaminants remediated: Fuels, VOCs, SVOCs


Phytoremediation (IT) – Plants and trees are used to remove contaminants from the
ground in phytoremediation. This may be accomplished by the uptake of the
contaminants by plants and trees which is called phytoextraction. Rhizofiltration
involves plants grown in a greenhouse using contaminated water as a water source. The
plants perform phytoextraction in a greenhouse rather than onsite. Phytodegradation
breaks down organic contaminants by enzymes which are secreted by the plants.
Phytovolatilization may occur where contaminants pass through the plant and evaporate
to the atmosphere.

Purpose: contaminant destruction, containment,
Pros: Plants and trees look nice, relatively cheap
Cons: Works at shallow depths (root depth), contaminants may collect in leaves
In situ/ex situ: In situ
Contaminants remediated: Fuels, VOCs, SVOCs, metals