The experimental site is located in a disused refinery in Lombardia. The first subsoil consists of terrains with rounded gravels prevailing in sandy/silty matrix, affected by the presence of an aquifer with an average thickness of 5 m and depth to water for 10 m. In the groundwater the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons had been found, with prevailing Benzene in the concentration of around 16,000 µg/l and the total hydrocarbons with concentrations in the order of 20,000 µg/l : the area affected by the anomalies was located in less than 1,000 mq.
The site-specific conditions have allowed to verify the good removal efficiency of the system SmartStripping®, through a first phase of Test Pilot, which has enabled the acquisition of the data necessary for the design of a plant Full-scale consists of 6 wells SmartStripping® . Groundwater and interstitial gases were monitored by the clients who have measured the rate of contaminants extraction from groundwater on the basis of a program of daily, weekly and monthly checks .
The project goals were accomplished in 16 months of operation during which the plants SmartStripping® have allowed the removal of a total of about 7,400 kg of hydrocarbons from underground, then more than 450 kg/month, reducing the concentrations of benzene and total hydrocarbons in the waters below the acceptable limits for the specific intervention area.
The remediation system led to a significant reduction in the volatile pollutants concentrations and their extraction from underground.In 16 months of activity, we measured the following environmental benefits: the purification and preservation of approximately 164.000 mc of groundwater, not extracted from the ground and not discharged into surface water or sewer, the missed emission in atmosphere of 4.400.000mc of air purified in the closed air-cycle of SmartStripping ®, the production of zero kg of waste, since all the waste of the system, including activated carbons, have been regenerated and reused.