Modeling electrokinetically-enhanced aggregate remediation

Electrokinetic remediation is one of the fundamental approaches to remediating contaminated soil, but there is considerable confusion about when and how this approach offers competitive advantages over remediation alternatives. A model is presented that will help remediation engineers determine the potential value of using electromobility-enhanced aggregate remediation to accelerate the rate at which sequestered contamination is transferred to the liquid phase where it can be managed by some other mass transfer process. Simulations are presented to compare the rate of electromobility-enhanced remediation to diffusion-driven remediation of “old contamination” aggregates. Simulations demonstrate that when the contaminated aggregates are small, there is little advantage in electrokinetic acceleration, but when the aggregates are sufficiently large, electromobility-enhanced remediation can accomplish in a short time (days) what would otherwise take a very long time (possibly years) to complete.