Soil remediation broadly refers to the “repair” and “renewal” of contaminated land. To preserve the sanitation of the area, contaminants in the terrain are treated or removed using various soil remediation techniques. The process of soil remediation is seldom done as a do-it-yourself endeavor, primarily because of the technical and tedious processes involved. More often than not, the intervention of soil remediation experts is needed especially in full-scale property or home improvement operations.
Soil Remediation Solutions in Distinct Groups
The types of soil cleanup technologies have greatly evolved and increased in number because of the growing need for correcting damaged or tainted land. Going back to the basics, soil remediation solutions can pretty much be grouped into two categories: In-situ and Ex-situ. Soil remediation companies should offer services according to these broad groupings:
- In-Situ – refers to soil cleanup techniques which does not require the excavation or digging of the terrain. In-situ methodologies normally involve reducing contaminants in the land through chemical and technical processes such as biodegradation, extraction or oxidation.
PROS: Soil remediation companies offering this type of service generally charge less, thus making this technique less expensive. Moreover, the physical structure of the terrain is preserved as soil digging is not required.
CONS: The treatment effects normally take time to become visible and the uniformity or evenness of the treatment within the soil surface is not entirely guaranteed.
- Ex-Situ – is the type of soil cleanup service that leverage on the excavation of the land to achieve the desired results. Contaminated soil portions can either be treated on-site or off-site. By on-site, the sediments are retained in the location and are treated on the spot. Off-site on the other hand, involves the transportation and transferring of the dug material to another location and subsequently treated in the new area.
PROS: The expected result and improvements using this technique are immediate. Moreover, the spreading of the contamination is mitigated since the polluted soil itself is removed and segregated from the usable portion.
CONS: This technique is more expensive and time-consuming and often times affect the integrity and stability of nearby property foundations.
The role of topsoil remediation experts is undeniably important in every property or land remediation effort. Because of their knowledge, specialization and available resources, customers needing help in their home improvement projects can expect that the desired improvements are achieved without much hassle and work on their end.