Sustainable Remediation: A New Way of Thinking the Contaminated Sites Management

Abstract

Within the evolution in the remediation field, the traditional approach to contaminated sites management, based almost exclusively on the risk, time, cost, and decontamination efficiency, is gradually being replaced by the concepts of sustainability. The most recent focus is the incorporation of the term "sustainable remediation (SR)", taking into account that application of a remediation technique can have its own impacts. Thus, this paper aims to present and analyze the characteristics and trends on the knowledge developed in the field of SR and its incorporation in the contaminated sites management context. Firstly, the background to the SR approach is presented. This discussion was carried out through a contextualization of the main changes that occurred in the contaminated sites management with insertion of SR. After that, the main characteristics and concepts of SR are presented and analyzed, and the different stakeholders involvement in this process is discussed. Finally, the main elements present in sustainability evaluation of remediation processes are discussed. It can be concluded that a consensus on the increasingly solid incorporation of a sustainable approach in remediation projects is emerging on the global scene with a view to reducing the process impacts and maximizing the long-term benefits of the contaminated site.