Physical methods of remediation generally involve the removal of contaminants from the soil, water and gaseous medium by utilising their different physical properties.
Both organic and inorganic contaminants are separated using a number of mechanical techniques.
Contaminants are not destroyed but are isolated for separate removal or destruction, which may be biological, chemical or thermal.
Some of the specialist technologies used for physical remediation include:
- Soil vapour extraction
- Dual/multi-phase vapour extraction
- High vacuum extraction
- Air stripping
- Air sparge
- Soil processing and washing
- Asbestos removal from soil
- Free product removal (LNAPL and DNAPL)
- Gas injection for enhanced NAPL recovery
- Groundwater pump and treat
- Off-gas treatment
- Engineered containment
- Hydraulic containment
- Permeable reactive barriers
- Passive / reactive treatment walls
- Landfill engineering including leachate & gas control
- Source excavation, retrieval and off-site disposal/treatment
- Surfactant flushing
