Soil Vapor Extraction
Credit: 3 PDH
Subject Matter Expert: Mark Knarr, P.E., CDT, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, PMP, CCEA, GPCP
In Soil Vapor Extraction, you'll learn ...
- How soil vapor extraction (SVE) is used as an alternative site remediation technology
- Components of an SVE system
- Advantages, disadvantages and limitations of SVE
- The process for initial screening and detailed evaluation of SVE effectiveness
Overview
EPA confirmed nearly 3,000 new releases from underground storage tanks (USTs) during fiscal year 2010, bringing the cumulative total to 491,572 releases since 1984. Although progress has been made in cleaning these sites, over 96,000 of them still require remedial action. These UST leaks pose a grave threat to human health and the environment by contaminating groundwater and soil.
As an alternative to traditional pump-and-treat or soil excavation, soil vapor extraction (SVE), also known as soil venting or vacuum extraction, is an in-situ technology that reduces concentrations of volatile constituents in petroleum products adsorbed to soils in the vadose zone. With SVE, a vacuum creates a negative pressure gradient in the soil matrix that moves hydrocarbon vapors toward extraction wells; these wells in turn remove the vapors from the soil. However, one must carefully consider both the site conditions and contaminant properties before implementing SVE.
This course is intended for environmental engineers who wish to expand their knowledge of alternative methods of site remediation.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate the initial and detailed factors used to determine the viability of soil vapor extraction (SVE).
- Explain how soil and contaminant properties influence SVE performance.
- Describe SVE system design and the principal system components.
- Apply methods for computing the required number of extraction wells.
- Compare vertical and horizontal extraction wells.
- Distinguish between the startup and long-term phases of SVE operation.
Certificate of Completion
You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 20 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Area of Practice) |
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| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
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| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
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