In-situ remediation of the contaminated soils in Ostrava city (Czech Republic) by steam curing/vapor

Abstract

This study deals with an application of vapor in the remediation of soils in an extensive part of the Ostrava city center (Czech Republic) needed to be decontaminated from abundant tar (wash oil). The source of contamination was the Karolína Coking Plant (operating between 1842 and 1985), which was situated in the center of the Ostrava City, the largest industrial center of the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia. The problem was that a large part of the contaminated ground could not be remediated by extraction and soil treatment, but the area needed to be remediated without disrupting its structure by reason of impossibility of the changes to the important Road of 28 Října and Na Karolíně Street and historical buildings in the city center. The main scientific contribution of this article is to point at a possible application of this unique solution in localities where no soils/rocks can be extracted during remediation. The remediation process in this study was successfully completed and the monitoring results confirmed that the unsuitable conditions were improved. Successful application of the vapor in remediation of contaminated soils in this study may expand new horizons in applications for numerous contaminated city quarters world-wide.