Brief

As part of a brown field redevelopment project in Wallaceburg, Ontario, a property formerly occupied by a manufacturing facility and contaminated with the chlorinated solvent TCE (Trichloroethene) required remediation, in a relatively short period of time, to meet regulatory standards and enable the completion of a real-estate transaction.

Broad methods were evaluated, including dig and dump. IRSL earned the contract based on their approach, which cost significantly less than the other, more invasive techniques submitted for consideration.

Process

IRSL used anaerobic bioremediation to mitigate the TCE plume. Using Direct Push Technology (DPT), IRSL injected Emulsified Vegetable Oil (EVO) using a grid of injection points spaced every 3–4 metres.

In this anaerobic bioremediation technique, vegetable oil donates electrons to enhance the reductive dechlorination of the TCE and its daughter products. Vegetable oil is a cost-effective slow-release electron donor with a greater hydrogen release effciency than other electron donors. Emulsification ensures small, uniform droplet sizes that distribute evenly through the plume.

Results

Despite the need for a second injection, IRSL’s inclusion of a contingency injection in the original plan ensured that they completed the project under budget.

The result met the Ministry of Environment’s Table 3 Standards for industrial sites for TCE and its daughter products.

Four post-injection samplings have confirmed the site remains within Ministry standards.

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