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ARCADIS G&M employees inject the molasses solution into the subsurface. Nader Sherif (background) keeps an eye on the pressures and volumes being injected, while Mike Stephenson (foreground) records the data and operates the pumps and valves. Measurements taken from on-site groundwater monitoring wells within the remediation area show TCE levels reduced 99.9% and hexavalent chromium reduced to non-detect levels, at a total project cost that was 90% less than the bid prices quoted by other companies.
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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Maggie Holben, APR
303-984-9801
Cell 303-669-3558
FAX 303-986-4630
maggie@absolutelypr.com
Molasses takes over where Erin Brockovich left off
New Patented Process Cleans Up Hexavalent Chromium and Trichloroethylene Contamination at a Fraction of the Cost of Conventional Pump-and-Treat Methods
Highlands Ranch, CO (Mar. 12, 2001) -- ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller, the U.S. arm of an international environmental and engineering services consulting firm, has been awarded the patent for inventing the first effective method for treating contamination of land and ground water by trichloroethylene (TCE) -- a colorless liquid which, when ingested or inhaled at high levels, can cause various nervous system problems and damage to the liver and lung, and hexavalent chromium, also called Chromium 6, which was brought to the public's awareness recently in the Oscar nominated movie, Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts.
The announcement is made by Dr. Suthan Suthersan, P.E., director of ARCADIS Remediation Services and inventor of the patented process called IRZ Technology, which is short for In Situ Anaerobic Reactive Zones. The technology uses a simple molasses-based mixture which is injected into the ground. Bacteria found naturally in soil and groundwater feast on the solution and multiply rapidly. In the process of breathing, the bacteria use up the dissolved oxygen, nitrates and sulfates in the groundwater.
The resulting soil and groundwater environment causes a chemical reaction that converts the hexavalent chromium in the groundwater into a benign solid chromium hydroxide which becomes a part of the soil.
To date, ARCADIS has used the new technique at more than 85 sites throughout the U.S. and Europe. Ten of these sites have reached clean closure within only a two to three-year time frame and at a fraction of the cost associated with conventional pump-and-treat methods.
ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller is an environmental and engineering services consulting firm, specializing in full-service capabilities within the environment, infrastructure, and building sectors. The firm is the U.S.-based operations arm of ARCADIS NV (NASDAQ: ARCAF) located in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Founded in 1888, ARCADIS currently has 8,000 employees and is ranked among the top environmental engineering firms in the world.
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