Water treatment to prevent contaminant dispersal during remediation of cold regions contaminated sites

Water collection and treatment is often required for effective cold regions contaminated site clean-up. Large volumes of meltwater runoff can become contaminated during remediation activities and disperse pollutants into the surrounding environment. Of particular importance for Antarctic contaminated sites is the impact of contaminant metals from polluted sites into nearby marine environments and the sensitivity of these environments. A mobile water treatment system was constructed for deployment to remote cold regions contaminated sites for use during clean-up activities. The water treatment system is designed to remove contaminants associated with particles and colloids via coagulation and settling and dissolved metals via ion exchange. This paper gives an overview of laboratory tests necessary to ensure the safe operation of the water treatment plant during the remediation of an abandoned waste disposal site in the Thala Valley near Casey station Antarctica. The results show that through a detailed understanding of the mechanisms this technology can be used to treat water to meet the required guidelines for sensitive environments.