Scale-up on electrokinetic remediation: Engineering and technological parameters

This study analyses the effect of the scale-up of electrokinetic remediation (EKR) processes in natural soils. A procedure is proposed to prepare soils based on a compacting process to obtaining soils with similar moisture content and density to those found in real soils in the field. The soil used here was from a region with a high agrarian activity (Mora, Spain). The scale-up study was performed in two installations at different scales: a mock-up pilot scale (0.175 m3) and a prototype with a scale that was very similar to a real application (16 m3). The electrode configuration selected consisted of rows of graphite electrodes facing each other located in electrolyte wells. The discharge of 20 mg of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2,4-D] per kg of dry soil was treated by applying an electric potential gradient of 1 V cm−1. An increase in scale was observed to directly influence the amount of energy supplied to the soil being treated. As a result, electroosmotic and electromigration flows and electric heating are more intense than in smaller-scale tests (24%, 1% and 25%, respectively respect to the values in prototype). In addition, possible leaks were evaluated by conducting a watertightness test and quantifying evaporation losses.