Which statement best describes soil vapor extraction (SVE)?

Which statement best describes soil vapor extraction (SVE)?

• A. It Injects Oxidants Into Soil
• B. It Uses Bioaugmentation
• C. It Extracts Vapors From Soil Using Vacuum
• D. It Pumps Water Through Soil To Flush Contaminants

Answer: (C)

Soil vapor extraction works by pulling contaminated soil gas up and out of the subsurface. It uses a vacuum to create airflow through the soil, drawing vapors from the pore spaces into extraction wells where the vapors are captured and treated above ground. This method targets volatile contaminants that prefer to travel as vapors in the unsaturated zone, making it effective for VOCs like solvents. It isn’t about injecting chemicals into the soil (that would be a chemical oxidation approach), nor about adding microbes to break down pollutants (bioaugmentation), nor about flushing contaminants with water through the ground (a groundwater flush technique). By focusing on extracting vapors with vacuum, SVE directly addresses vapor-phase contaminants in the soil.

Soil vapor extraction works by pulling contaminated soil gas up and out of the subsurface. It uses a vacuum to create airflow through the soil, drawing vapors from the pore spaces into extraction wells where the vapors are captured and treated above ground. This method targets volatile contaminants that prefer to travel as vapors in the unsaturated zone, making it effective for VOCs like solvents. It isn’t about injecting chemicals into the soil (that would be a chemical oxidation approach), nor about adding microbes to break down pollutants (bioaugmentation), nor about flushing contaminants with water through the ground (a groundwater flush technique). By focusing on extracting vapors with vacuum, SVE directly addresses vapor-phase contaminants in the soil.