Surfactant applications are utilized to break down the interfacial tension between fuel/oil and soil particles. This creates an emulsion which allows for more effective oxidant treatment of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL) zones or “hot” pockets.

Surfactants are used to flush and capture NAPL followed by an oxidant or bio-stimulant injection. Once injected, surfactant mixtures are generally allowed a brief residence time in the subsurface. Then the mixture is removed using a wide variety of methods.

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