Abstract
In order to remediate hazardous waste site, a process of electrokinetically purging chemicals from saturated soil is examined by laboratory experiments. Electrokinetic soil remediation is one of the most promising soil decontamination processes that habe igh removal efficiency and time-effectiveness in low-permeability soils such as clay. Being combined with several mechanisms-electromigration, elec troosmosis, diffusion and electrolysis of water, electrokinetic soil processing can remove non-polar organics as well as ionic contaminants. The objectives of this study are; 1) the exploration of the feasibility of electrokinetic soil processing on the removal of heavy metals, 2) the investigation of applicability to the tailing-soils in aban doned mining area, 3) the examination of effects of soil pH and conductivity on the transport phenomena of elements in soils, and 4) the investigation of the applicability of the ionexchange membrance to the efficient collection of heavy metals removed from contaminated soils. With the result of this study, it is suggested that the removal efficiency is significantly influenced by applied voltage & current, type of purging solutions, soil pH, permeability and zeta potentials of soil. Although further study should be needed, it is possible to collect removed heavy metals with ion-exchange membrance in cathode compartment.