Soil and groundwater remediation technology

Soil
and
Groundwater
Remediation

Development background

TVCM is a subsidiary of CGPC. It conducts its production on a leased land in Qianzhen District of Kaohsiung City in its early days. Due to business considerations, it stopped production in 1989 and ended the land lease. However, the land was announced by the Environmental Protection Administration in October 2006 as a groundwater pollution control site. Although the company does not own the land, it has to face the pollution problems results from previous operations for the purpose of sustainability and has initiated its groundwater pollution control program.

In the early days, engineering consulting companies were commissioned to use physical/chemical methods for remediation, such as pumping and adding chemical agents. However, these methods were not effective in expanding to the entire site, and the concentration of pollutants in the groundwater could easily rebound. In addition, the remediation costs were high, and the remediation results were limited.

In 2009, TVCM employees conducted a pilot test of bioremediation technology. The results of the pilot test showed that bioremediation technology was feasible and had significant effects. At that time, there were no specialized technology companies in this field. Thus, TVCM established a dedicated unit, the "Biotechnology Research and Development Laboratory", in May 2010 to develop its own remediation technology.

After the establishment of GGTC (a subsidiary of TVCM) in 2022, in addition to pollutant analysis and testing, biological agents and material research and development, we will further improve investigation technology and introduce high-resolution site pollution investigation technology to construct a conceptual model of underground pollution to provide more accurate In 2023, the team once again completed the groundwater remediation work at the Luzhu Plant of Ocean Plastic Co., Ltd. and achieved SoilRelease.

Promotion and development (2010~2022)

Activate operations of the biological fermentation plant to supply the on-site operations.

Develop multi-functional wellhead components and obtain their patents.

In February 2022, TVCM established a wholly-owned subsidiary named Global Green Technology Corporation, dedicated to the development of integrated green remediation technologies.

The Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau has recognized the effectiveness of our remediation technology and has awarded us a certificate of delisting.

Developing a consortium of oil-degrading bacteria to prepare for oil pollution remediation work.

Site inspection and technical exchange on pollution control at the Environmental Protection dministration Soil and Groundwater Remediation Fund management site.

Collaborated with Professor Chang Keng-Leng's team from the Department of Environmental Engineering at National Sun Yat-sen University, funded by the Environmental Protection Administration Soil and Groundwater Remediation Fund management, for research and development projects.

Environmental Protection Administration recognized the remediation technology of TVCM's Environmental Development Department.

Awarded the Taiwan Sustainability Actions Award - SDG 15 Terrestrial Ecology Silver Medal and Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Award - Gold Medal in Individual performance, Innovation Growth Leadership Award.

Director Hua-Yi Chien won the 2020 Outstanding Project Manager Award issued by the Taiwan Association of Soil and Groundwater Environmental Protection.

Awarded the Soil and Groundwater Conference - Best Paper Award in the 33th Annual Meeting and Specialized Academic Seminar issued by the Chinese Environment Engineering Society.
Ocean Plastics Luchu plant has passed the official verification and obtained the delisted official document.

The award“Outstanding Unit in Green and sustainability for Remediation” was given by the Ministry of Environment.

Won the “Soil and Groundwater Symposium - Excellent Paper Award” by the Society of Environmental Engineering in 2023.

We received the Best Paper Award at the“2023 Environmental Engineering Practice and Technology Seminar Outstanding Paper Award” by the Chinese Institute of Environmental Engineering and the Taiwan Environmental Engineering Association.

Strengthening of professional skills and industry-academia collaboration

Water resources are an important indicator of sustainable human development. Due to the development of economic and industrial structures and human activities, there is a concern that groundwater will be polluted. Groundwater pollution prevention and control is an urgent task. Therefore, it is necessary to actively improve the technical ability of pollution remediation and design appropriate soil and groundwater quality management plans.

To implement the remediation plan, groundwater quality monitoring wells and monitoring and early warning systems should be established. In view of the highly scientific and technological nature of well drilling engineering, it is necessary to strengthen the integration of management, maintenance, review and sampling techniques of various types of monitoring wells. Functional wells should be effectively utilized to improve the groundwater monitoring system and give full play to the monitoring and early warning effect. By mastering the trend of groundwater quality changes, the purpose of preventing groundwater pollution can be achieved.

In addition to continuously improving localized technologies, the working team also masters the information on the application of new foreign technologies and establishes industry-academia cooperation and consulting projects with academia (such as National Sun Yat-sen University, National Kaohsiung University, Fooyin University of Technology, National Chung Cheng University, and Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology). In-depth research on related issues to accumulate industry-academia application experience. In the future, the team's capabilities and experience will be used to continue research and development and innovation, and effectively work on the improvement and prevention of pollution.

The soil and groundwater remediation technology of CGPC's subsidiary TVCM (which established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Globe Green Technology Co., Ltd. in 2022) uses in-situ bioremediation technology to restore the original appearance and value of polluted land. This process can avoid secondary environmental pollution and damage to the natural ecology and can also achieve energy saving and low carbon emission benefits. It is linked to SDGs 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” and SDGs 15 “Life on Land”.

Remediation performance – CPDC (Qianzhen Plant)

￭ Lifted the status as a restricted site in 2016.

The site was announced by the Environmental Protection Administration as a groundwater pollution control site in October 2006. The concentration of chlorinated organic compounds in the groundwater exceeded the control standard, and the announced area was about 16.8 hectares. In October 2009, the TVCM remediation team began to implement the groundwater pollution control plan. The groundwater pollution control plan for the site was implemented for about 6 years, and it was delisted in April 2016. It is the first control site in Taiwan to be delisted for chlorinated organic compound pollution. This successful experience provides a good example for the promotion of the improvement of DNAPL sites in Taiwan.

Remediation performance – CGPC (Toufen Plant)

￭ Lifted the status as a restricted site in 2017.

In 2011, it was announced by the Miaoli County Environmental Protection Agency as a groundwater pollution remediation site. The main pollutant was vinyl chloride. In 2013, it was commissioned by an environmental consulting company to implement the remediation but failed to complete the remediation. In 2015, TVCM team was commissioned to implement the remediation extension plan. After more than a year of remediation, the long-term monitoring can be maintained within the control standards, and the site pollution remediation work was completed ahead of schedule at the end of 2016. In February and March 2017, the Environmental Protection Administration and the Miaoli County Environmental Protection Administration obtained the official documents for the delisting of the remediation site and the control site. It is the first remediation site in Taiwan to be delisted for chlorinated organic compound pollution.

Remediation performance – Plastic company (Taoyuan Plant)

￭ Lifted the status as a restricted site in 2023.

In May 2011, a certain plastic company was announced by the Environmental Protection Administration as a groundwater pollution control site (Land area > 13 hectares). The main pollutant was vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). From 2011 to 2016, the owner commissioned a certain environmental protection company to implement the remediation, but there was no significant effect. Therefore, in mid-2016, TVCM remediation team was consulted and commissioned to carry out two-stage pilot tests in the factory. In 2017, the team was commissioned to carry out the whole-plant remediation. Due to the change of remediation technology, a change plan was submitted for review and approved in December 2018. The pollution remediation plan was implemented using the “treatment train” method from January 2019 to July 2022. In April 2023, the delisting announcement of the control site from the Taoyuan City Government was obtained.

CPDC (Qianzhen Plant) successfully achieved delisting from the contamination control site registry, as documented by the certificate.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has recognized the remediation technology of CGPC’s subsidiary TVCM Environmental Protection Department (now Globe Green Technology co.)

CGPC (Toufen Plant) successfully achieved delisting from the contamination control site registry, as documented by the certificate.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has recognized the remediation technology of CGPC’s subsidiary TVCM Environmental Protection Department (now Globe Green Technology co.)

Established Global Green Technology co. in 2022.

To build a strong foundation for sustainable development, TVCM is committed to solving the problem of groundwater pollution through scientific engineering methods. In May 2010, TVCM established a dedicated technical unit, the Environmental Technology Development Department, and invested heavily in research and development manpower and sophisticated equipment to start the research and development of domestical bioremediation technology. This includes research on bacteria strains that degrade chlorinated organic matter, bioaugmentation, and the development of bioavailable substrates. In February 2022, it established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Globe Green Technology Co., Ltd., to enable TVCM to provide customers with more complete services and support in soil and groundwater remediation. It also aims to expand its diversified positioning and serve clients in different industries, continuously improve its mature environmental technology without chemical agents, and strive to become a company that is committed to environmental friendliness and sustainable land resources.

Technology Development in 2020 ~ 2023

Established bio-fermentation plant.

By automating fermentation technology production control, high-quality and stable microbial inoculants can be cultivated and obtained in a short timeframe for field application. This significantly increases production capacity, scaling up from the original weekly laboratory output of 20 liters to 1,000 liters or more, effectively facilitating field remediation efforts.

Development of a functional medicine injection device.

The device can be switched to multiple functions according to different remediation methods. It can be used with air pressure for injection to increase the distance of drug transmission, overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, and save about 5 times the operation time. It obtained a new type device of patent certificate in 2020.

Development of oil-degrading microbial consortia.

Soil from oil-contaminated sites was tested in the laboratory to select microbial consortia with degradation capabilities. After fermentation and cultivation, genes for toluene and naphthalene degradation were detected, and the consortia were able to degrade benzene, toluene, and diesel. They can be used for field remediation.

Slow-release biospheres were newly developed in 2023

Geodes are naturally decomposable materials. They are used to coat specific functional bacteria or biological matrices and slowly release them in the groundwater environment to continuously decompose pollutants and provide a nutrient source for biological growth for a long time. It is very suitable for groundwater flow variation for the remediation and use of high-risk sites.

Outstanding achievements of TVCM and GGTC Company in the remediation of groundwater were selected as “Outstanding Units for Green and Sustainable Remediation”

The Environmental Management Administration of the Ministry of Environment launched the “2023 Selection of Outstanding Units for Green and Sustainable Remediation” for the first time in Taiwan to encourage outstanding enterprises to adopt green sustainable remediation technologies. TVCM and GGTC Company jointly participated in the event (Note 1) and were awarded trophies and publicly commended as outstanding units through the recognition of the Ministry of the Environment and various experts and scholars.

By using the remediation train sequence technique and reviewing improvement strategies on a rolling basis, we have also adopted “green, energy-saving, low-carbon emission, and environment friendly” Sustainable construction methods during the site improvement of the Toufen plant of TVCM. After years of hard work, the “Energy Storage and Green Power Planning” was selected as an “Outstanding Unit in Green and Sustainability Remediation” for its achievements in standing out of the crowd with quantitative indicators such as environmental, economic, and social indicators for the progress and effectiveness of improvements.
Note 1: The case of Toufen site processing commissioned by TVCM (a subsidiary of CGPC).

Won the“Best Paper Award and the Outstanding Paper Award”in 2023

GGTC sponsored the annual conference of the Chinese Institute of Environmental Engineering

Key development area.

In-site high-resolution investigation technology using a Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) system.

For the investigation of underground environmental pollution, the GeoProbe drilling system is used to carry out detection with the Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) system. The analysis results are used with 3D simulation software to construct a conceptual model of the underground pollution at the site. It can provide the most accurate pollution information for site remediation, like an environmental forensic scientist, as a basis for remediation planning.

Continuous development of land remediation agents

To address chlorinated organic matter pollution, we have developed and provided different functional bioremediation agents and bio-substrates for field remediation use, including anaerobic bioremediation agents, aerobic bioremediation agents, key additive substrates, long-acting emulsion polymerization colloids, universal and gel bio-substrates and potassium permanganate compound and other remediation materials and technologies.

Green remediation combines carbon reduction and circular economy materials

Biochar is a material with high specific surface area, good pH buffering capacity, and high ion-exchange capacity. It can also improve the living environment of soil microorganisms, increase the intensity of soil microbial metabolic activity, increase the richness and diversity of microbial communities, and participate in the extracellular electron transfer process of microorganisms.Global Green Technology co. and Professor Ken-Lin Chang's team from the Department of Environmental Engineering at National Sun Yat-sen University have worked together to recycle and reuse agricultural waste to produce biochar. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, biochar can also be used as an economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly adsorbent and bio-logical carrier for pollution remediation. It is a sustainable reuse method based on the circular economy

Mr. Chien Hua-yi, superintendent of CGPC’s subsidiary TVCM Environmental Protection Department (now Globe Green Technology co.), was awarded “Outstanding Project Manager Award” for the 2020 year by the Taiwan Soil and Groundwater Environmental Protection Association.

Taiwan Soil and Groundwater Environmental Protection Association is a non-profit social group established in accordance with the law. Its purpose is to strengthen the connection between people engaged in pollution site investigation, remediation, restoration and soil and groundwater environmental protection, promote the effective use of environmental resources, and promote soil and groundwater environmental protection. The members of the association are composed of industry, government, academia, and research institutes. There are currently 46 corporate members, 414 individual members, and 531 student members. To commend the association members who have made special contributions to the investigation and remediation of soil, groundwater or sediment pollution sites in Taiwan, carry forward the spirit of dedication, develop innovative technologies, and improve service quality, the association has specially established this award.

Contact Unit: Global Green Technology Co.
Contact Person: Mr. Chien Hua-yi (Superintendent)
E-mail: huayi@usig.com
Web site: https://www.globalgreen-tech.com.tw/