Soil Remediation

BioSolve works in three ways on soil remediation projects

BioSolve®, a water-based, biodegradable surfactant formulation, functions in three ways to remediate contaminated soil:

• Solubilizes hydrocarbon, effectively “washing” hydrocarbons from the soil;
• Mobilizes hydrocarbons (by reducing interfacial tension) for more efficient extraction via recovery wells; and
• Micro-encapsulates hydrocarbons remaining in the soil matrix, increasing bioavailability and stimulating bioremediation.

Freeing NAPL

Removing Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (NAPL) contamination trapped within subsurface formations is the core challenge in many remediation efforts.  NAPLs have low solubility in water and therefore are not subject to efficient removal by many technologies.  Injection of BioSolve® solution into the vadose and/or smear zones can enhance remediation by:

• Stripping and desorbing NAPL from the soil matrix, removing 75-99% of the contaminant mass,
• Increasing matrix transmissivity, thereby boosting and extraction capabilities at recovery wells.

Stimulating bioremediation

Imagine a sandwich that is three feet thick.  This  meal is almost inedible because it is out of proportion with the size of the mouth. All one can do is nibble around the edges.  In similar manner, trapped hydrocarbon masses are slow to biodegrade because their massive globular structure is out of proportion to the microscopic bacteria that naturally seek to ingest/process the oil.

How does BioSolve Work?
BioSolve® microencapsulates the hydrocarbons (through the formation of micelles), resulting in a multiple order of magnitude decrease in droplet size and a corresponding increase in the surface area accessible to bacteria.  This transformation makes the hydrocarbon readily digestible by the bacteria, thereby speeding up the natural biodegradation process.

For more information, call to request the BioSolve InfoSheet on Soil Remediation.