Pilot Remediation Techniques

This work package will demonstrate a variety of remediation techniques, which can complement each other for the remediation of different environmental compartments, including  

• the highly contaminated source area where the contamination originates 
• migration route areas with moderate levels of contamination 
• more remote impact zones with diffuse contamination with lower concentration levels 
• spatial distribution over a larger area extending to surface water bodies where protected fauna has its habitat.

More intensive technologies, such as in-situ soil and groundwater flushing and physical-chemical groundwater treatment, will target the more contaminated source area in the ‘former industrial site’ subarea, while less intensive nature-based solutions will address the more diffuse contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water and water bottom in the ‘Broek de Naeyer’ subarea. 

For nature-based remediation techniques, for the nature reserve provincial domain Broek de Naeyer, we look at the applicability of phytoremediation, more specifically the ability of plants and their associated micro-organisms to take up PFAS and thus remove and/or stabilise them as well as specific clean-up agents in nature, such as fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms, and their ability, in combination with plants or not, to degrade the PFAS. We are studying the possibilities of removing pollution with aquatic plants, reeds and willows. In agricultural areas, we will work with different plant species, as well as fungi. Special bio-filters are being developed for heavily polluted ground and surface waters. Finally, we are looking at the applicability of in situ soil flushing in combination with the use of foam fractionation and fungi to clean the soil flushing water, and at a combination of nanofiltration and plasma destruction of PFAS in the retentate of the nanofiltration for remediation of the most contaminated groundwater in the source zone.

• Performance data of different techniques that can control PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater, sediment and surface water. 
• Optimal process conditions to deploy the different techniques as remediation techniques in other similar areas and applications. 
• Based on the results of WP4, we will develop an area-based remediation approach on a regional scale in WP5.