Next-level soil washing: The mobile solution for PFAS

• With its mobile soil washing plant, Bauer Resources presents a world first that offers an efficient solution for removing PFAS in the soil.
• The plant is suitable for medium-scale projects, ranging from military sites to the chemicals industry.
• Sustainability, flexibility and cost efficiency: these are just a few of the plant’s many benefits.

Schrobenhausen, Germany – Once celebrated as a sign of progress, they have become an urgent problem: per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, PFAS for short. These chemicals are spreading in the soil – invisible, unstoppable and stubborn. Suitable remedial actions are still scarce at the moment. So the big question is: How can these forever chemicals be removed from the soil? BAUER Resources GmbH has the answer and is presenting a true world first with its mobile soil washing plant. 

Optimal for up to 30,000 t of soil 

The newly developed mobile soil washing plant is groundbreaking for medium-scale projects involving 10,000 to 30,000 t of soil polluted with PFAS. “In the past, the only available solution was stationary plants for large volumes which often were not worthwhile for smaller projects. With our mobile soil washing plant, we are filling that gap in the market,” highlights Heinrich Unger, Sales Engineer with the Bauer Umwelt Division of BAUER Resources GmbH. The plant is particularly suitable for washable soils such as sand and gravel mixtures with a silt content from 10% to 15%. From military sites to agricultural spaces all the way to the chemicals industry, the plant can be used nearly anywhere that PFAS are present in the soil. 

How the plant works

The centerpiece of the mobile soil washing plant is a washing and fractionating stage in which the contaminants are separated from the soil and transferred to the aqueous phase. This results in two different material aggregates: a cleaned, fractionated particle mixture and a water-slurry mixture. The particle mixture is free of contaminants and can be reintegrated safely as soil material. The water-slurry mixture is dewatered in a further step to separate it from the slurry. The remaining portion of water then passes through a cleaning stage and can be reintroduced into circulation after treatment. “Behind our world first is a plant that clearly sets itself apart from other plants due to its mobility and the recirculation of water,” remarks Heinrich Unger, adding: “Thanks to our many years of experience with handling PFAS, we have perfected the method.” So far, so good. But how effective is the method? “The new plant cleans roughly 30 t of soil per hour and removes up to 98% of the contaminants,” explains Heinrich Unger. 

Sustainable, mobile, payable

The advantages of the plant are evident, particularly when it comes to sustainability. The polluted material is cleaned directly on site and can generally be reused immediately – a truly resource-efficient solution. This considerably reduces the volume of waste to be disposed, saving valuable landfill space and cutting down on disposal costs. At the same time, the site’s carbon footprint is improved by eliminating transports to the landfill. Thanks to its mobility, the soil washing plant can also be used flexibly and transported to different locations without a problem, is very quick to assemble and requires little space. “The technical assembly takes just about five days, and the space requirement is roughly 60 m x 30 m,” explains Heinrich Unger. This makes it suitable for smaller or remote sites as well as for projects that are particularly time-sensitive. Apart from the environmentally friendly and logistical advantages, the mobile soil washing plant also makes it possible to save considerably on costs: for transport, landfills and backfill material. “All in all, the mobile soil washing plant is a real breakthrough for the industry that not only benefits the environment but also generates economic advantages for the operator,” concludes Sales Engineer Heinrich Unger.