Author(s)

R. A. García-Delgado, J. Grima & D. Barettino

Abstract

A case study on the remediation of a former explosive manufacturing site is presented. On the basis of the sampling and characterization results, the contaminants present were pyritic ashes and nitroaromatics (mainly trinitrotoluene and dinitrotoluenes). Waste was classified according to toxicity which was higher in the fraction contaminated by TNT and DNTs. The adopted remedial action consisted in the excavation and landfilling of the contaminated material. The toxic waste was sent to a security landfill and the rest was buried in a containment unit excavated at the site. In some cases, the application of treatment technologies to separate/destroy the nitroaromatics and reduce the volume and toxicity of the waste could have in the end resulted in lower cost. An evaluation of two such alternatives, thermal desorption and soil washing, is presented. Suitability of these remediation treatments for this particular case is discussed and some calculations presented including a computer model which is used to evaluate steam stripping performance in the remediation of these contaminants. Keywords: brownfields, nitroaromatics, trace and heavy metals, steam stripping, soil washing, remediation. 1 Introduction Treatment or removal of contamination is fundamental to the redevelopment of former industrial land. Furthermore, increasing legislative and environmental pressures are being applied to landowners and users of land in Spain. On occasions, remediation projects are affected by circumstances other than the technical / scientific ones. Among them we can cite time constraints, political

Keywords

brownfields, nitroaromatics, trace and heavy metals, steam stripping, soil washing, remediation.