A PROCESS FOR THE DECONTAMINATION OF TOXIC, HEAVY-METAL CONTAINING SOILS

摘要

The present invention relates to the decontamination of soil andthe like and, in particular, soils which are contaminated withmetal as a result of the activities of human beings. Theinvention provides a physical and a chemical means for treatingsoil aggregate so as to obtain a product aggregate having arelatively low metal content. The physical means ischaracterized by the classification of a soil aggregate intoportions of differing size and metal content. The chemical meansis characterized by contacting a soil aggregate with an aqueouslixiviant comprising an organic acid component to lift metal fromthe aggregate. The physical and chemical means may be used in acombined process for decontaminating soil aggregate.