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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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