A recently developed approach to salt or brine contaminated soil and groundwater is using electrokinetics (EK) to extract the chloride and sodium ions in electrode wells. EK is simply the application of DC electric fields in moist or saturated soil to induce electromigration of the soluble ions. During desalinization, the chloride ions migrate toward anode wells and sodium ions migrate toward cathode wells where they are removed. Since the power source must be DC, a solar array is an attractive alternative in areas where line power is expensive or not available.
A solar powered pilot-scale EK desalinization process was installed in at a brine impacted site in North Dakota in April 2019 under a research grant agreement with the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s Oil and Gas Research Program (OGRP). The system was installed to treat soil and groundwater in 3 small sections of the site. This paper describes the installation, operations and maintenance, as well any results to date.

Primary Author / Conference Presenter:
Christopher Athmer
Sr. Environmental Engineer
Terran Corporation
Beavercreek, OH, USA

Website: www.terrancorp.com

Co-Author:
Shane Ewert, Stealth Energy Group, Williston, ND
Cody Anderson, OneCor, Williston, ND