Soil + groundwater investigation, remediation design, Project Management – The site was housing a recycling plant / distillery for used solvents. The City of Pforzheim is a well know city for the manufacturing of gold jewelry and other jewelry. Used solvents containing oils or grease had been cleaned in a distillation process and entered as recycled solvent the production process again. Remains of the distillation process caused a massive contamination of soil, soil vapor and groundwater. Due to the size and the complexity of the contamination – such as different groundwater flow directions in the sandstone layers – the project was part of the so called MOVO-Program. This environmental program was initiated and led by state government of Baden-Württemberg. Since the beginning our company P+R is responsible for all subsoil investigations, for the remediation design of the compartments soil, soil vapor and groundwater. Currently P+R is responsible for field supervision, monitoring and cost surveillance.
Implemented Measures
- Historical Research
- Detailed investigation of the geological and hydro-geological structure and of the distribution of the contaminants (LCKW, PCB, and TPH) in the loess loam and the underlying rock (sandstone). The deepest drillings reached a final depth of 200 m.
- Design and execution of soil remediation tests in laboratory and technical scale in a scale up process for the above mentioned contaminants.
- 3-dimensional modeling
- Remediation design and site supervision
- Soil exchange with huge scale drillings. To avoid air emissions the work was performed in a specially designed tent.
- Soil vapor extraction
- Groundwater remediation (pump + treat) with horizontal filters containing activated carbon
- Monitoring of the contaminants concentration in soil vapor and groundwater
Situation today (2014)
- Residential housing in the wider periphery of the covered contaminated area
- The ground water remediation had been finalized successfully
- The soil vapor extraction is still in operation
- A monitoring program for soil vapor and groundwater is under execution
