An electrokinetic/activated alumina permeable reactive barrier-system for the treatment of fluorine-contaminated soil

This study reports on the combination of electrokinetics remediation (EKR) and modified activated alumina permeable reactive barrier (PRB) for the remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil. Experimental results showed that fluorine could be removed more effectively from contaminated soil by EKR combined with PRB technology than the single EKR, because of PRB filled with modified activated alumina for adsorption of fluorine and lower electrical resistance in the combined remediation system. Under the conditions of the experiment, the removal efficiency of fluorine by combined remediation was 76 %, after 240 h. Meanwhile the combined remediation could also resolve the problem to some degree that fluorine contaminants accumulated in central and cathode regions by the single EKR. These indicated that EKR/PRB (modified activated alumina) was a promising technology to eliminate fluorine in contaminated soils.