Patent ID: 8206062

Claim:
A method for determining a subsurface contaminant remediation protocol, comprising: collecting a soil sample from the subsurface; identifying at least one target contaminant for concentration reduction; choosing a surfactant and optionally choosing a cosolvent for injection into the subsurface to solubilize and/or desorb the at least one target contaminant; choosing an oxidant and optionally choosing an activator for the oxidant for injection into the subsurface to oxidize the target contaminant; and choosing the quantity of surfactant for injection into the subsurface to form a Winsor I system or a submicellar surfactant solution or a microemulsion; injecting the surfactant and the oxidant into the soil sample; and measuring an initial surfactant concentration in the soil sample and a final surfactant concentration in the soil sample after a period of time, wherein the surfactant resists oxidation by the oxidant, and the surfactant increases oxidation of the at least one target contaminant in the soil sample, wherein the contaminant comprises a nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL), and wherein at least 40% of the initial mass of the contaminant is destroyed in situ in the sample.