AIR SPARGING

Air sparging is an in situ remediation technique by which air is blown into the contaminated waterbed. The air blows through the contaminated site vertically and horizontally, volatising the contaminating pollutants and thus stripping them from the underground area. The contaminants are sent upward toward the zone that is not saturated, creating vapours that are then captured by soil vapour extraction. The air must be blown in at such a rate as to ensure close and direct contact between the underground water and the soil, in order to strip the pollutants. Adding oxygen to the underground waters and to the unsaturated area earth also enhances biodegradation of the contaminants present above and through the waterbed.
Source: Courtesy of Ambiente, an Eni Group Company