Electrochemically Assisted Remediation of Contaminated Soils (eBook)

This book provides an overview of the current development status of remediation technologies involving electrochemical processes, which are used to clean up soils that are contaminated with different types of contaminants (organics, inorganics, metalloids and radioactive). Written by internationally recognized experts, it comprises 21 chapters describing the characteristics and theoretical foundations of various electrochemical applications of soil remediation. The book's opening section discusses the fundamental properties and characteristics of the soil, which are essential to understand the processes that can most effectively remove organic and inorganic compounds. This part also focuses on the primary processes that contribute to the application of electrochemically assisted remediation, hydrodynamic aspects and kinetics of contaminants in the soil. It also reviews the techniques that have been developed for the treatment of contaminated soils using electrochemistry, and discusses different strategies used to enhance performance, the type of electrode and electrolyte, and the most important operating conditions. In turn, the book's second part deals with practical applications of technologies related to the separation of pollutants from soil. Special emphasis is given to the characteristics of these technologies regarding transport of the contaminants and soil toxicity after treatment. The third part is dedicated to new technologies, including electrokinetic remediation and hybrid approaches, for the treatment of emerging contaminants by ex-situ and in-situ production of strong oxidant species used for soil remediation. It also discusses pre-pilot scale for soil treatment and the use of solar photovoltaic panels as an energy source for powering electrochemical systems, which can reduce both the investment and maintenance costs of electrochemically assisted processes.

- Prof. Dr. Manuel Andrés Rodrigo was born in Plasencia, Spain, in 1970. He obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1997 at the Universidad of Valencia and since 2009 is full professor of Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Castilla La Mancha. His research interests include on electrochemical water and wastewater treatment, high temperature PEM fuel cells, electrochemical production of oxidants, electrocatalysis, microbial fuel cells and electrochemically assisted soil remediation. He has consolidated a highly competitive and internationally-minded research team, focused on the development of new and value-added applications of electrochemical engineering, with expertise in the frontiers between electrochemistry-energy and electrochemistry-environment and with a relevant transfer of knowledge to the industry. Over these years, he has kept a strong consultant collaboration with many companies in energy and e^330 Q1 according to WoS), more than 80 technical reports for companies and 5 patents. He has supervised 17 doctoral theses and has an H-index of 67 and more than 18000 citations. He has presented more than 400 communications (more than half of them as oral communications) in congresses including more than 50 keynotes.

- Prof. Dr. Elisama Vieira dos Santos was born in Santa Cruz, Brazil. She received her Ph.D (2015) in the institute of chemistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil. During her Ph.D, she participated as visiting research in the Electrochemical & Environmental Engineering Lab at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (Spain, 2014) under supervision of Prof. Manuel Andres Rodrigo, evaluating the pesticides decontamination from wastewaters and soils by using electrochemical oxidation and electrokinetic remediation, respectively. She is currently Associate Professor in the School of Sciences and Technology at the UFRN. She was awarded with important prize 'Women in Science' (2016) by UNESCO and the L'Oréal Foundation for her relevant scientific contributions and developments on environmental protection. Since 2018, she participates as Associate Editor of Quimica Nova journal (Brazilian Chemical Society). Her research mainly focuses on electrochemically assisted soil remediation, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (electrochemical remediation, photo-electrolysis, renewable energies driven electrochemical technologies) as well as the construction of electrochemical-sensors and electroanalytical techniques for detecting heavy metals and organic compounds in real samples. She has published 54 peer-review in international scientific journals papers, 04 book chapters, and more than 100 conference comumnucations in national and international congresses and 01 patent.