The invention provides a method and a system for treating and/or decontaminating porous materials and/or aquifer layers, including at least one housing, at least one heating module, one module for injecting pressurized liquid and one recovery module. The heating means is capable of being introduced in the porous material, and includes at least one heating tube having a heat-conducting outer wall. The heating tube can be connected to the heating module. At least one pressurized-liquid injection tube is included which can be connected to the pressurized-liquid injection module. The system includes at least one vapor-extraction means for extracting the contaminant vapor. The extraction means is capable of creating the vacuum in the porous material and can be connected to the recovery module, and at least one layer of sealing material that can be applied to the surface of the porous material to be treated.

Apparatus and methods for removing, measuring, and/or mapping per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in porous media such as soils, sludges, and colloids by employing both direct and indirect heating methods to transfer thermal energy to the media undergoing treatment. The contaminated media is placed within a media treatment enclosure that incorporates a thermal jacket, and radiatively heated by circulating a heated gas through the thermal jacket. The contaminated media is directly heated by injecting heated treatment gas into the media treatment enclosure. The heated treatment gas is drawn over and/or through the contaminated media to mobilize contaminants from the media and into the treatment gas, which is then collected and processed to recover the contaminant.

Apparatus and methods for removing, measuring, and/or mapping per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in porous media such as soils, sludges, and colloids by employing both direct and indirect heating methods to transfer thermal energy to the media undergoing treatment. The contaminated media is placed within a media treatment enclosure that incorporates a thermal jacket, and radiatively heated by circulating a heated gas through the thermal jacket. The contaminated media is directly heated by injecting heated treatment gas into the media treatment enclosure. The heated treatment gas is drawn over and/or through the contaminated media to mobilize contaminants from the media and into the treatment gas, which is then collected and processed to recover the contaminant.

Methods are provided for generating or recovering gaseous materials such as hydrogen and solids such as metals through the smoldering combustion of an organic material. The methods include admixing a porous matrix material with an organic material, and, in some embodiments a catalyst, to produce a porous mixture. The mixture is exposed to an oxidant, initiating a self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture, and collecting the vapors and combustion products or processing the porous matrix following combustion to physically separate the porous matrix material from ash containing inorganic materials of value. Additional embodiments aggregate the organic material or catalyst or porous matrix material or mixture thereof in an impoundment such as a reaction vessel, lagoon or matrix pile. Further embodiments utilize at least one heater to initiate combustion and at least one air supply port to supply oxidant to initiate and maintain combustion.

Methods are provided for the removal of sulfur and other ARD/AMD-generating materials through the smoldering combustion of an organic material. The methods comprise admixing an ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material with an organic material to produce a mixture, exposing the mixture to an oxidant, and initiating a self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture. Additional embodiments aggregate the organic material or ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material or mixture thereof in an impoundment such as a reaction vessel, depression or matrix pile. Further embodiments utilize at least one heater to initiate combustion and at least one air supply port to supply oxidant to initiate and maintain combustion.

Methods are provided for the removal of sulfur and other ARD/AMD-generating materials through the smoldering combustion of an organic material. The methods comprise admixing an ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material with an organic material to produce a mixture, exposing the mixture to an oxidant, and initiating a self-sustaining smoldering combustion of the mixture. Additional embodiments aggregate the organic material or ARD/AMD-generating porous matrix material or mixture thereof in an impoundment such as a reaction vessel, depression or matrix pile. Further embodiments utilize at least one heater to initiate combustion and at least one air supply port to supply oxidant to initiate and maintain combustion.

A closed-loop system and method for heating of target contaminant treatment zones (150) having environmental contaminants of concern present in the groundwater and the soil by thermal conduction, and subsequent enhancement of physical, biological and chemical processes to attenuate, remove and degrade contaminants in the target contaminant treatment zones, is disclosed. The system and method collects solar or other heat and transfers that heat via a closed-loop and a set of borehole exchangers (120) to subsurface soil in the proximity of and/or directly to the target contaminant treatment zones. The target contaminant treatment zone may comprise contaminated soil, contaminated groundwater in an aquifer, or industrial waste comprising water and/or solids. Solar collectors or heat exchangers capturing waste heat from industrial processes may be used as the heat source (110).

A closed-loop system and method for heating of target contaminant treatment zones (150) having environmental contaminants of concern present in the groundwater and the soil by thermal conduction, and subsequent enhancement of physical, biological and chemical processes to attenuate, remove and degrade contaminants in the target contaminant treatment zones, is disclosed. The system and method collects solar or other heat and transfers that heat via a closed-loop and a set of borehole exchangers (120) to subsurface soil in the proximity of and/or directly to the target contaminant treatment zones. The target contaminant treatment zone may comprise contaminated soil, contaminated groundwater in an aquifer, or industrial waste comprising water and/or solids. Solar collectors or heat exchangers capturing waste heat from industrial processes may be used as the heat source (110).

Disclosed is a method for introducing a liquid, preferably aqueous, into a volume of a porous medium (typically clay or clay-rich soil), which has a matrix hydraulic conductivity below 10.sup.−7 m/s, comprising establishing at least one frozen section and at least one non-frozen section of said volume and introducing said liquid into said non-frozen section. Also disclosed is a method for remediation of a volume of such a porous medium as well as a system/assembly suitable for carrying out said method.

Disclosed is a method for introducing a liquid, preferably aqueous, into a volume of a porous medium (typically clay or clay-rich soil), which has a matrix hydraulic conductivity below 10.sup.−7 m/s, comprising establishing at least one frozen section and at least one non-frozen section of said volume and introducing said liquid into said non-frozen section. Also disclosed is a method for remediation of a volume of such a porous medium as well as a system/assembly suitable for carrying out said method.