This document is available in the Adobe Acrobat PDF Format. Electromagnetic energy heats the soil resulting in increased contaminant vapor pressures and potentially higher soil permeability.
Heating begins at the top center and proceeds downward and outward.
Soils are heated to over 300 o C. Extracted vapors can be treated by standard treatment technologies. RFH is most efficient in areas with low groundwater recharge. The technology was demonstrated in August 1993 at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated by comparing contaminant concentrations in matched pairs of samples before and after treatment. Groundwater recharge apparently caused a short in the power electrodes, resulting in overheating of the soil near the power electrodes and diminished heating in the outer parts of the treatment zone.