Electrokinetic removal of selected heavy metals from soil

The electrokinetic process is an emerging technology for in situ soil decontamination, in which chemical species, both ionic and nonionic are transported to an electrode site in soil. These products are subsequently removed from the ground via collection systems engineered for each specific application. Electrokinetics refer to movement of water, ions and charged particles relative to one another under the action of an applied direct current electric field. In a porous compact matrix of surface charged particles such as soil, the ion containing pore fluid may be made to flow to collection sites under the applied field. The work presented here describes part of the effort undertaken to investigate electrokinetically enhanced transport of soil contaminants in synthetic systems. The results of the laboratory study presented here indicate that electrokinetic enhancement of contaminant transport in soils is a viable technology; development of this technology for wide range of applications hinges upon better understanding of the transient chemical and physical processes during application of current through soil/contaminant systems.