Permeable reactive barrier

A Reactive Wall (English: Permeable Reactive Barrier ) is a construction in the ground, passing through the contaminated groundwater and purified. It has a thickness of 0.3 m to 2 m, in most cases, ranging up to 35 m in the soil. The width of the construction is dependent on the width of the contaminant -bearing groundwater flow. Here, the groundwater flow can be influenced by additional construction measures, such as the construction of underground seals.

In dependence on the pollutant, the active material of the wall is selected. For example, is used to clean up the groundwater of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons ( CHC ) of elemental iron in the form of granules or sponge iron for the dechlorination and thus introduced to the degradation of the pollutant. An alternative is the use of activated carbon, whereby the pollutant is spatially linked.

The most common alternatives to reactive wall of the excavation of the soil or pumping of groundwater with an aboveground cleaning ( Pump and Treat ).