Soil washing/flushing of contaminated soil:A review

Soil washing/flushing is an efficient technology for rapid remediation of soils or sediments highly contaminated by heavy metals and/or organic pollutants.In this paper,the characteristics,technical processes,and cleaning agents for soil washing/flushing remediation were reviewed.The ex-site soil washing has broad application prospects,due to its stable remediation efficiency,easy control,and waste reduction.Environment-friendly cleaning agents,such as natural chelating agents and bio-surfactants,have gradually replaced artificial chelating agents and chemical surfactants,and become the main cleaning agents for soil washing/flushing.Modern supramolecular chemistry will have significance in the washing/flushing remediation of soils contaminated by combined pollutants.