B030690 - PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR CONTAMINATED SITES REMEDIATION

Italian

Normative requirements. Health-environmental risk analysis. Main contaminants of interest and their chemical-physical characteristics. Advective-diffusive equation. Criteria for choosing remediation technologies and safety measures. Sampling and analysis techniques for the characterization of contaminated sites. Description and design criteria of the main remediation technologies (such as biological processes, SVE, soil washing).

The aim of the course is to provide the knowledge necessary to operate in the field of remediation of contaminated sites. At the end of the course the student should know and be able to apply:
- the main regulatory references related to the identification, characterization, remediation/safety of contaminated sites (Legislative Decree 152/2006);
- the criteria for identifying the most suitable remediation technology/s;
- the methodology of health-environmental risk analysis;
- simplified methods to evaluate the spread of contaminants in the environment;
- design criteria of the main remediation technologies.
Students will also need to know:
- sampling and analysis techniques useful for the purposes of characterizing contaminated sites;
At the end of the course the student must also have acquired:
- Autonomous judgment regarding the definition and characterization of contaminating sites and the planning of remediation interventions;
- Ability to explain design choices also in relation to non-technical aspects;
- The theoretical notions to proceed autonomously with post-graduate self-learning.

- Knowledge of chemistry, hydraulics, sanitary-environmental engineering

The course takes place with:
- frontal lessons;
- plant visits;
- classroom exercises;
- seminars.

The learning verification method is an oral exam on the course program.
The oral test is used to evaluate the knowledge acquired during the course and the ability to apply this knowledge. In particular, the following will be evaluated:
- the ability to identify and characterize a contaminated site;
- the ability to identify suitable solutions for the remediation of contaminated sites in relation to the contaminated matrix and the contaminants present;
- the ability to use the design criteria provided during the course for the sizing of remediation systems.

Identification of contaminated sites and soil quality criteria:
• Definition Of Contaminated Land
• Forms Of Exposure To Contamination
• Types of Contaminated Land
• Soil quality criteria

Regulatory framework
• Introduction
• The Origins of the National Legislation on Contaminated Sites
• the Ministerial Decree 471/99
• Legislative Decree 152/06
• Legislative Decree 4/08
• Sites of National Interest

Soil characteristics and pollutant behavior
• Classes Of Pollutants of Interest (Main properties of pollutants present in soils (nomenclature and structure, volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile organic compounds) and their Physico-Chemical Properties (solubility, vapor pressure, Henry's constant, diffusion coefficient , partition coefficients, bioconcentration factor, absorption).
• Distribution of Contaminants Between Soil Phases
• The ground as a dispersed three-phase system
• Mechanisms Of Propagation Of Pollutants In Groundwater
• Theoretical Foundations of the Differential Equation of Mass Transport
• Analytical Solutions of the Differential Mass Transport Equation for Non-Reactive Solutes in Saturated Media
• Analytical Solutions of the Differential Mass Transport Equation for Reactive Solutes
• Assessment of Concentrations at Exposure and Compliance Points
• Theoretical principles of risk analysis
• Structuring A Risk Analysis In Phases

Characterization of Contaminated Sites
• Introduction
• Site perimeter
• Definition of the conceptual model of the site
• Emergency safety interventions
• The Investigation Plan
• Indirect Investigations
• Direct Investigations
• Quality and interpretation of analytical data
• Statistical treatment of data
• Evaluation of results.

General information on reclamation and safety measures
• Introduction
• Interventions Classification Criteria
• Choice Criteria Between Possible Interventions
• Remediation interventions
• Bioremediation
• Safety measures

In-Situ Treatments of the Zona Vadosa
Bioventing and Soil Vapor Extraction
• Principles of Technology
• Bioventing
• Soil Vapor Extraction
• The Radius Of Influence Of Wells
• In situ tests of air permeability
• Respirometric tests in situ
• Calculation of the speed of removal of the contaminant
• Design Criteria Of A Bv/Sve Plant

In-Situ Treatments of the Saturated Zone
Air sparging and bio sparging
• Principles of Technology
• Applicability Check
• Plant engineering configurations
• Sizing of the interventions

Washing Treatments
• Soil Washing

Ex-Situ Biological Treatments
• Composting
• Landfarming
• Bioreactors

Prb: Permeable Reactive Barriers
• Introduction
• Principle of operation
• Possible Configurations Of A Prb
• Usable Reagent Materials
• Contaminants Treatable By Zero-Valent Iron
• Mechanisms Of Degradation Of Chlorinated Solvents In Contact With Zero-Valent Iron
• Characterization of Contamination and Site
• Use of models for the design of the barrier
• Technical Solutions For The Realization Of The Permeable Reactive Barrier
• Monitoring Phase

Remediation Treatments
Mna: Monitored Natural Attenuation
• Introduction
• Non-destructive Attenuation Processes
• Destructive Attenuation Processes
• Mathematical models for the simulation of natural attenuation processes
• Monitored Natural Attenuation

Solidification/Stabilization
• Principles of Technology
• Treatments with inorganic binders
• Treatments with organic binders
• Treated contaminants
• Soils S/S Technologies
• Control Tests On Stabilized/Solidified Materials

SDG 3 – Health and well-being
SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation
SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 15 – Life on Earth