The goal of the project is to examine the applicability of non-thermal plasma (NTP) discharge techniques as advanced oxidation methods for the resource-efficient, sustainable and cost-effective in-situ remediation of soil contaminated by recalcitrant organic pollutants. Studies of plasma discharge techniques will be performed on lab-scale reactors by testing the possibility to remove several classes of recalcitrant / persistent organic pollutants (e.g. pesticides, chlorinated solvents, PAH) from two specific soil types. Plasma discharge reactors will be designed, constructed and tested for the in situ treatment of polluted soils by NTP. Parametric studies with respect to soil properties, pollutant type/concentration, moisture content, oxidant type, and flow conditions will be performed. A macroscopic numerical simulator of pollutant oxidation by plasma will be developed by coupling mass-transfer with reactive processes in porous media. Based on lab-scale studies and numerical modeling, a pilot plant will be designed for the in situ remediation of soils by NTP. Technical, economic and environmental factors will be accounted for benchmarking and assessing the lifecycle viability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness of soil remediation with plasma oxidation methods.
Host Institute: Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas – Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT)
