PLATFORMS FORREMEDIATION ANDInnovation
IN SERVICE OFENVIRONMENTAL METROLOGY
In France, more than 4,000 sites are polluted by heavy metals (lead, copper, chromium …), hydrocarbons, or organochlorine compounds (pesticides, solvents …). Decontaminating them is a major challenge for our environment.
The PRIME platforms, managed by the BRGM, are experimental installations with 3 objectives:
- identify and quantify soil, subsoil and groundwater pollution
- predict their potential impact on our environment in the short and medium term
- offer solutions (tools and methods) to remedy and study the affected areas
PRIME makes it possible to carry out experiments with different sizes.
- Small scales (a few kg or cm3 of soil, sediments or liquids). Each parameter (temperature, concentration of pollutant, etc.) can be controlled and its precise role thus identified.
- Large scale (several tons in m3). This allows for more realistic conditions and close to those encountered in the field.
PRIME has already contributed to the understanding and rehabilitation of environments polluted by hydrocarbons (gas station leaks for example), chlorinated solvents (used in dry cleaning, degreasing of metallurgy …), pesticides (in crops) and heavy metals (related to industrial and mining activities).
Its platforms also develop innovative eco-technologies, relying for example on the properties of microorganisms or nanoparticles to clean up.
M² DEDICATED LABORATORIES
12 ENGINEERS – 12 TECHNICIANS – 4 PhD Studendts – 3 POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS
6 REGIONAL – 8 NATIONAL – 1 EUROPEAN
FROM THE TPE TO THE GROUP
The experimental and analytical means of PRIME are grouped together in Orléans in a unique 1000 m2 infrastructure, directly linked to the BRGM’s other laboratories and analytical tools.
The PRIME platforms carry out multi-scale studies (from cm3 to hundred m3), multi-contaminants (inorganic and organic), multi-matrices (soils, sediments, water, rocks) and multi-methods (physical, chemical, biological).
To carry out these experiments, PRIME platforms have the following means:
- Centimeter-to-decimetric batch size reactor (closed containers)
- Columns and tanks of decimetric to metric size (H = 0.2 to 5 m, interior diameter = 0.05 to 1 m)
- Pluri-metric pilot (PPM 10.4 x 3.6 x 4 m split into 2 or 4 independent modules) in a hall classified ICPE
- Equipment for continuous monitoring of physical, chemical and microbiological measurements, and samples (water, gas, solids) adapted to all spatio-temporal scales studied
- Laboratory environment for chemical (inorganic and organic) and isotopic analyses in water, solid and gas as well as for physical and mineralogical characterization of solids
- Customized pilot assembly space according to the experimental needs
Here are some examples of possible applications:
- Groundwater circulation simulation to test sensors and passive samplers
- Migration and fate of contaminants through solid fragmented matrices (soils, sediments) or solid consolidated matrices (rocks) under non-saturated, saturated conditions, or a continuum of both, in an environment either aerobic or anaerobic,
- Implementation and validation (comparison with standardized methods, mass balance, cost-benefit analysis) of remediation tools and processes (physical, chemical, biological) at different scales up to the industrial pilot scale
The BRGM provides the skills and know-how of a team of technicians, engineers, researchers and managers to meet your expectations, from fundamental research to product validation or services (TRL 1 – 9)
All means of PRIME can be mobilized within the framework of:
- Collaborative research projects (design, implementation, valorization) on regional, national or European funding
- Services at different levels of the value chain
- Possibilities of development, testing or validation of methods and equipment
- Training / demonstration
Biomass at the service of pesticide degradation: towards sustainable agriculture
Use of foams with blocking effects and iron desorption / vectorization foams for the treatment of heterogeneous high velocity groundwaters polluted by heavy chlorinated compounds
Leaching test on plastic waste bales
« Collaboration with the BRGM has made it possible to develop a custom test protocol and implementation of the latter to simulate the behavior of a waste subject to external storage. Thanks to this partnership, this atypical simulation highlighted the phenomena specific to the waste considered. »
PRIME – Immoterre ® project
« Thanks to the BRGM’s scientific support, stabilization solutions have already been developed for three major contaminants, with convincing results. »