Technology Developments

Browse Topics

Water Supply & Sanitation Water & Soil Remediation Hydrologic Hazards Water Quality in the Natural Environment River Basin Systems Environmental Assessment, Management, & Restoration Water Science & Research Drinking Water Basics Water in Developing Nations

How to Use this Site

Water & Soil Remediation

The last 20 years have seen an explosion in research and technology development targeted at remediating contaminated groundwater and soil. At key points in this recent history, the WSTB has written seminal reports to take stock of our current understanding of subsurface processes that control the extent of contamination and has provided advice on tools, technologies, and methods for assessing and cleaning up hazardous waste sites. This began with an accounting of the effectiveness of pump and treat technologies for cleaning up groundwater [view report] - still the most common technology used today. The burgeoning role of microorganisms in bringing about site cleanup was also the topic of an early WSTB review [view report]. Dozens of more innovative technologies have arisen in the last 10 years and have been reviewed in subsequent NRC reports. These include Innovations in Ground water and Soil Cleanup[view report] , Environmental Cleanup at Navy Facilities: Adaptive Site Management [view report], and Research Needs in Subsurface Science [view report]. The most recent review discusses the effectiveness of aggressive technologies in removing the most recalcitrant contaminants from complex hydrogeologic environments [view report]. Adaptive management concepts, which are most frequently applied to large-scale river system management, could be easily adopted by the hazardous waste cleanup world as a means for introducing riskier new technologies into cleanup as they are developed [view report].

Books Related to Technology Developments
Click on a book for more information.