Lasagna™ Process installation

A well-documented field application of electrochemical remediation is reported to address the problem of chlorinated solvent (TCE) in clay soil at the DOE site in Paducah, Kentucky. This process is known as Lasagna (Terran Corporation, Beavercreek, OH) and it combines the electro-osmotic transport of TCE in pore water and degrades it in vertical curtains installed along the flow path within the soil that are filled with iron filings and kaolin clay. Pore water accumulated at the cathode is recycled by gravity back to the anode as makeup water and neutralize the acid formed at the anode. Overall, the treatment is found to be effective. The implementation and performance results are presented in detail in Chapter 30. The same Lasagna process is implemented very recently at another site contaminated with TCE in Fonde du Lac, Wisconsin, and performance is being monitored (Chapter 30). 

The cost of the Lasagna process continues to drop with increasing field experience and technology adaptation. Current installation methods and equipment allow the costs to approach 100 per ton. The materials required, iron filings, kaolin clay, and steel plates, are as natural and innocuous as they can be. The cost of materials and rectifiers is determined primarily by steel prices. Electricity costs are only about 10% of the total and may be further managed by negotiation with the electric company. 

Many significant advances achieved in the Lasagna installation process over the last few years have made it a cost-effective solution to source area remediation. The equipment has evolved to the point where emplacements take weeks instead of months and the material costs have been significantly minimized. Installation rates have risen from 9 linear meters (30 ft) per day for the Paducah installation to over 90 m (300 ft) per day for the Wisconsin installation. Both systems are described below. 

Cost The cost to install Lasagna at this site was approximately 1,030,000. An additional 250,000 was spent on site preparations to extend the remediation process into the river. Operations are estimated at an additional 250,000 for electricity, rectifier rental, site oversight, and monitoring for 2 years. The complete site cleanup will cost an estimated 2,000,000, of which 1,280,000 is directly for Lasagna. Based on the 6000-m (8000-yd ) site volume, the Lasagna unit costs equal 213 per cubic meter ( 160 per cubic yard or about 100 per ton). 

Lasagna can be installed at many sites with diverse conditions and surrounding environments. The system works well in saturated or vadose zones. Installations have been installed and operated safely in semirural and urban settings. With the process being contained underground, the only pieces of equipment required are the rectifier and a remote data monitoring system. The only structure required is a... 

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