Treatment of contaminated groundwater in sandy layer under river bank by electrokinetic and ultrasonic technology.

A series of laboratory experiments involving simple, ultrasonic, electrokinetic, electrokinetic/ ultrasonic flushing test were carried out for treatment and removal of heavy metal and hydrocarbon from contaminated groundwater in sandy layers under a river bank. The test results show that the electrokinetic/ultrasonic flushing technique is most effective for the removal of heavy metal and hydrocarbon from contaminated sandy layers by the coupling action of their own phenomena. It is shown that the electrokinetic technique is most effective to enhance the removal efficiency of heavy metal contaminants such as cadmium from contaminated sandy soil under the river bank; on the other hand the ultrasonic technique is most effective to enhance the removal efficiency of hydrocarbon contaminant, such as diesel fuel from contaminated soil.