soil vapor extraction - description and application

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Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application By Mehrdad Javaherian

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Page 1: Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application

Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application By Mehrdad Javaherian

Page 2: Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application

Introduction• An environmental epidemiologist and engineer who has worked

with such organizations as the California Department of Public Health, Dr. Mehrdad Javaherian currently serves as a Principal Consultant with Endpoint Consulting, Inc. and directs LRM Consulting's practices in California. Dr. Mehrdad Javaherian consults on a wide range of environmental remediation services to both the public and private sectors, including in-situ thermal desorption for which he holds multiple patents, and soil vapor extraction.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), soil vapor extraction, also called vacuum extraction or soil venting, is a remedial method that reduces quantities of volatile components in petroleum products in soils in the unsaturated zone above the water table.

Page 3: Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application

Soil Vapor Extraction• Coupled with in-situ thermal desorption which

induces the volatilization of organic compounds and select metals from soils, soil vapor extraction technology effectively removes and/or lessens concentrations of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds by applying a vacuum to a contaminated soil matrix.

While the soil vapor extraction process has been proven effective, there are a number of factors that influence its efficacy, such as soil permeability, depth to groundwater, soil moisture, and soil stratification.

Page 4: Soil Vapor Extraction - Description and Application

Conclusion•The EPA notes that soil vapor extraction is

typically more successful if used for light, and thus more volatile, petroleum products like gasoline. When applied alone, soil vapor extraction doesn’t effectively remove heating oils, diesel fuel, and kerosene as they are heavier and less volatile than gasoline; however, when coupled with in-situ thermal desorption, even the heavier-end contaminants are induced to volatilize, allowing for removal via soil vapor extraction.