Remediation and enhnacement of heavy metal contaminated and problematic soils using electrokinetic

The present thesis is a contribution to the study, from the perspective of geotechnical engineering, of the issues related to the electrokinetic phenomena in soils. Electrokinetic phenomena are here analyzed and studied together with all the broader phenomena generally connected to the induction of a continuous electrical field in saturated soil masses. In the last few years, interest in electrokinetic phenomena in soils has gained new momentum, in virtue of industries connected to soil remediation from ionic and not ionic contaminants. Indeed remediation of polluted sites through a direct current (DC) electrical field can be particularly appealing when the soil has a very small permeability, such to require long operational times with other more traditional techniques. Background knowledge necessary for a correct analysis and understanding of the electrokinetic phenomena in soils include elements from electrochemistry, water chemistry and mineralogy. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).