- 22 Apr 2024
- 7 minutes
Soil remediation: Recovering Contaminated Land
The Soil remediation pose a silent threat to the environment and human health. Past and present industrial activities, such as mining, chemical production, and waste disposal, have left a trail of contamination spread across soils worldwide. According to the European Environment Agency, over 30% of European industrial sites could be contaminated, with devastating consequences for environment and water resources.
Environmental remediation represents a fundamental pillar in protecting and recovering these lands and the natural resources of our planet. Defined as a set of actions aimed at restoring or improving the environmental quality of a previously degraded or contaminated area, soil remediation plays a crucial role in safeguarding ecosystems and protecting human health.
The process of environmental remediation can involve various types of lands, from contaminated industrial sites to areas affected by environmental disasters, to urban areas compromised by the presence of toxic waste. Remediation practices are implemented using specific technologies aimed at deleting or reducing the presence of harmful substances in the environment and restoring its ecological functionality.
In an era where climate change and pollution pose an increasingly concrete threat to our survival, environmental remediation emerges as a tangible opportunity to reduce negative effects on the environment and public health.
The Importance of Soil Remediation Practices
The need for soil remediation practices arises from the growing global spread of land pollution. Various factors contribute to soil contamination, including intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, industrial and mining activities, uncontrolled waste disposal, and human or nature-caused environmental disasters.
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), over 16% of industrial sites in Europe have soil pollution levels exceeding established safety limits. Furthermore, it is estimated that over 2 million contaminated sites are present in the United States alone, with a significant impact on human health and the surrounding environment.
Soil pollution not only compromises soil fertility and water resource quality but also poses a direct threat to human health, with potential consequences such as increased cases of cancer, breathing, and brain diseases.
In this context, remediation of contaminated soil practices play a crucial role in restoring ecosystem health and protecting life on Earth from the serious consequences of environmental pollution.
Matec's growth in Environmental Remediation
2024 – 2030: A significant increase in soil washing plants is expected by 2030, reflecting an increasing adoption of advanced environmental solutions.
Why choose Matec
Matec stands out as a leader in the Soil Washing industry, offering a solid technical and economic solution for the remediation of contaminated soil.
With a focus on ESG and the circular economy, Matec positions itself as a reliable partner for solving soil contamination problems, offering comprehensive, high quality solutions.
- ~90-95% treated water recovered
- ~15% cake moisture, less risk to the environment
- No need for chemicals
- Low energy consumption
Matec’s Choice as a Supplier of Soil Remediation Systems
Always a leading player in the field of wastewater and sludge treatment, Matec has always played a very important role for all those companies in the mining or aggregates sector that need to recover clean water and dispose of their dewatered sludge easily and safely.
On the strength of this know-how, the company has embarked on the path of treating aggregates to integrate the washing and screening solutions required to complete a 100% turnkey proposal for its customers. In this new vision, a whole series of new plants have also entered the field, making it possible to deal with a whole range of problems related also to soils to be reclaimed and decontaminated.
Precisely in the field of soil remediation, Matec is distinguished by its wide range of innovative and customised solutions for soil decontamination. Among the various solutions offered, a number of mechanical and chemical treatment systems stand out, which are adapted to the different types of contaminants present in the soil.
Matec’s machinery range
With regard to the mechanical treatment of contaminated soil, Matec has a series of plants designed for screening and washing gravel. One of the most effective devices in this respect is the Screentec – inclined vibrating screen, a multi-level vibrating plane that enables polluting particles to be precisely separated from the gravel, guaranteeing a high degree of purity in the treated material.
For washing sands, Matec offers the Sandtec – sand recovery unit with hydrocyclone, a system that harnesses the power of hydrocyclones to wash and separate sands, effectively removing the impurities present. Thanks to its effectiveness and ability to work on a large scale, the Sandtec is particularly useful in projects to clean up industrial sites and coastal areas affected by contamination from hydrocarbons and other pollutants.
In addition, to tackle the removal of very resistant clay and silt, Matec offers Scrubtec – heavy-duty scrubbing unit, a system equipped with rotating paddle shafts that act forcefully on the treated material, effectively removing impurities and ensuring a high quality of the treated material.
For the decontamination of sands from other types of pollutants, such as heavy metals and other harmful substances, Matec offers the Attritec – agitator and mixer system, based on attrition cells that remove pollutants from the surface of the sand, ensuring a clean and environmentally safe end result.
In addition to mechanical treatment solutions, Matec also integrates machinery for the chemical removal of hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other pollutants. Thanks to advanced technologies and safe processes, Matec is able to tackle complex environmental challenges, providing tailor-made solutions for each specific requirement of reclamation projects.
Mission: Safeguarding the environment
The environmental remediation solutions offered by Matec stand out for their effectiveness, reliability and innovation, representing an important reference point in the environmental protection sector.
Thanks to its commitment to research and development of cutting-edge technologies, Matec is able to offer customised and tailor-made solutions for all types of contamination, guaranteeing concrete and lasting results.
The use of plants for the remediation of contaminated sites contributes significantly to:
- Restoring the health of ecosystems: By removing contaminants from soil and water, it encourages the recovery of local flora and fauna, restoring the environment to its natural biodiversity.
- Protect public health: Remediation of contaminated sites reduces the risk of exposure to substances harmful to human health, preventing outbreaks of disease and ensuring a better quality of life for local communities.
- Enhancing the territory: the reclamation of degraded areas makes them usable again, creating new opportunities for economic and social development for the territories concerned.
The company operates with a deep sense of responsibility towards the environment and people, aware that protecting the planet is a global challenge that requires everyone’s commitment.
Choosing Matec for environmental reclamation means relying on a reliable and competent partner, working with passion and dedication to build a more sustainable future for everyone.
