Using Iron To Treat Chlorohydrocarbon Contaminated Soil

A method of in situ remediation of soil contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents involves injection of nanometer-size iron particles. This method should not be confused with a similar method, involving injection of emulsified iron particles, reported in “Treatment To Destroy Chlorohydrocarbon Liquids in the Ground” (KSC-12246), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 6 (June 2003), page 56. Like that method, this method is implemented in a process that is safe, yields environmentally benign end products, takes less time and costs less than do traditional pump-and-treat processes, and is both less expensive and less environmentally disruptive than are cleanup processes that involve excavation, trans-port to facilities for incineration or other treatment, and reburial