Chemical reactions in the soil may influence the mobility and toxicity of many pollutants that are introduced into the soil and groundwater system. The chemical reactions are complex and occur simultaneously, therefore, it is difficult to predict exactly how chemicals may behave in the natural system.
Currently, there are no federal regulations that allow remediation of polluted sites by utilizing natural chemical reactions that occur in soils. This article is an overview of common chemical reactions in soil and groundwater systems that have the ability to control some mobility and toxicity of certain pollutants. Although each reaction is discussed separately, it is important to realize that all the reactions are occurring simultaneously in the soil system. Today, the most commonly approved remediation techniques for inorganic toxic metals is excavation and incineration. All other current remediation techniques are extremely expensive and consuming. Allowing site remediation by leaving pollutants in place has the potential to save responsible parties millions of dollars in remediation costs. The article is separated into the following sections:
Created by: Amy Shober, Walter Gee, and Bryan Anderson;
E-mail comments to: ashober@vt.edu
Faculty Advisor: Naraine Persaud, npers@vt.edu
Copyright © 1998 Naraine Persaud
Last Modified: January 1, 1999
