Air injection wells-just another pump and treat method or a cost effective, innovative tool for in situ remediation

摘要

The remediation of groundwater has been one of the most urgent tasks concerning environmentalism for several years. Experience has shown that heterogeneous aquifer structures and sorption onto soil material are the reasons for long decontamination times. An Air Injection Well (AIW) is a simple and low cost method for the remediation of dissolved volatile organic compounds and for the enhancement of natural attenuation, e.g. the support of biodegradation by generating an aerobic environment in, or by adding nutrition to, the saturated zone. The possibilities for the application of an AIW are illustrated by means of two large scale experiments and one field application. The Advantages and disadvantages of the AIW are discussed.