Bioremediation
We are working on world-class bioremediation at the Las Salinas site, an effective and safe technique for people and the environment, with local and global experts.
Bioremediation at Las Salinas
In the field, native microorganisms or bacteria absorb and digest the hydrocarbons, returning the environment to a condition free of risk to people and the environment.
In water, a pretreatment is performed in the contaminated areas at depth, using nutrients that are injected through wells into the subsoil, which stimulates the bacteria present at depth. Then, when the excavations are carried out and the water is visible, an oxygen-rich nutrient is added, which stimulates the myrobiota in the soil.
In soil, it is carried out by means of biopiles, which generate the ideal conditions for the work of bacteria, controlling air, humidity and nutrient load. In this way, the natural degradation process is accelerated in a safe way for people and the environment.
Las Salinas Sanitation Project
Project Stages
The remediation of the Las Salinas site is being carried out in three phases, all with the best technology and permanently monitored to ensure the safety of people and care for the environment.
Phase of
Construction
In this preparatory stage of the remediation project, the land is prepared and the necessary infrastructure for the remediation activities is installed. This includes setting up office and storage areas, improving roads, installing a perimeter security fence and preparing the site for the next phases of the remediation process.
Phase of
Operations
In the operational phase of the remediation project, soil remediation is carried out through bioremediation, following a sequential and controlled excavation process. Excavated soils are pre-sorted and then transferred to biopiles, where contaminants will be effectively degraded. In addition, constant monitoring of soils and groundwater is implemented to ensure compliance with environmental standards and to guarantee the correct progress of the remediation.
Phase
Closing
This is the final process in which the results obtained after completion of the remediation activities will be verified, documented and reported. The closure phase is critical to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the remediation project. It not only ensures compliance with environmental objectives, but will also provide transparency and reassurance to the community that the site is safe and meets all environmental standards.
Effective and safe project for people
The remediation project considers the highest safety standards in terms of its results and care for the environment. Check out how we are monitoring the project.
How to Participate
We have multiple channels through which you can learn more about the remediation project, raise your concerns and contact us. Check them out here.
Find out more about Bioremediation
Latest in Bioremediation
Check out the most recent activities we have carried out as part of our land remediation work.
5 Frequently Asked Questions on Bioremediation
Why should it be remediated only in the deeper layers?
A: The oil companies that had stopped operating in Las Salinas submitted a first EIA called “Recuperación Terreno Las Salinas” on December 20, 2002, which obtained an Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA), being favorably qualified by the Regional Environmental Commission (COREMA) of Valparaíso (or regional CONAMA), through Exempt Resolution No. 203 of October 7, 2004.
The first stage of remediation of the Las Salinas site was carried out between 2009 and 2013, during which time 47 thousand tons of contaminated soil were removed and the surface and subsoil facilities of the fuel distribution companies that operated until 2000 were dismantled. This explains why the first meter of soil on the site has been completely remediated.
After the first phase of remediation, studies established that the major contamination of the soil is associated with hydrocarbon compounds, which are located between 5 and 8 meters deep.
Is it dangerous for bacteria to be so close to populations?
A: Bacteria are everywhere on a massive scale, in gardens, in parks, in our refrigerator, etc. So far, after more than 70 years of a naturally activated process, there is no record of them being a threat to populations, because they are bacteria adapted to surplus and remaining hydrocarbons, and not to human pathologies.
How do bacteria travel and can they reach our homes?
A: It is impossible for bacteria to travel to the surrounding dwellings or beyond, let alone in a non-homogeneous environment.
The movement of bacteria is on a microscopic scale, imperceptible to human measurement standards; their world (cosmos) is reduced to a dimension not perceptible to man. Moreover, bacteria cannot fly.
Why is phytoremediation not applied at the site?
A: Because there is no pre-existence in the site that we can take as a reference, the ruderal (colonizing species in uninhabited or abandoned sites) present do not do phytoextraction, fundamentally because the contaminants are below 6 to 7 meters in the subsoil. Even if we bring them to the surface to force phytoremediation, what the species to be incorporated will do is to change the contaminant matrix, that is to say, the contaminants will be extracted by the plants that would then have to be eliminated in another way. In addition, there are no tree species to clean up coastal soils where the substrate is mineral (sand), with brackish soils. Clearly a technique that does not apply to this type of site and soil type.
Why do they install the monitoring stations inside the field and not in the surroundings where people live?
A: Because the source of contamination to be monitored is the field itself, it is the closest location to a potential exposure and, therefore, where measurements will be highest. Monitoring within the contaminated site and not in the surrounding area helps to differentiate between contaminants coming from the field and not from other sources, such as local industry or traffic, and to evaluate the effectiveness of corrective measures in real time.
