immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Altlastensanierung

  • Electrochemical breakthrough in the fight against contaminated sites

    Electrochemical breakthrough in the fight against contaminated sites

    According to a press release, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH) have achieved a breakthrough in the remediation of contaminants such as DDT and lindane. These are persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. These are toxic chemicals that were widely used in the 1940s to 1980s. They degrade very slowly and can now be found in the food chain of humans and animals. The university team led by Bill Morandi, Professor of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, has now developed a novel electrochemical process that completely dehalogenates these environmental toxins and binds them in harmless salt. The remaining organic hydrocarbons can be fed into the circular economy and thus serve as valuable raw materials for the chemical industry.

    “We wanted to solve one of the biggest environmental problems of the last century. It is unacceptable to leave the dirt to future generations,” Alberto Garrido-Castro, electrochemistry specialist and former postdoc in the group, is quoted as saying in the press release. The ETH team sees the remediation of such contaminated sites in soil, water and landfills as one of the major unresolved issues in environmental protection. The degradation of these chemicals using electrochemical processes has been investigated for some time. According to the press release, the ETH researchers have now achieved the decisive breakthrough with the use of alternating current in electrolysis. “It splits the halogen atoms into harmless salts such as NaCl (common salt) and produces valuable hydrocarbons at the same time,” explains Morandi. The hydrocarbons are benzene, diphenylethane or cyclododecatriene. Chemicals that are used in the production of plastics, paints or coatings and therefore contribute to a sustainable circular economy.

    An important prerequisite for implementation is that the new process can be applied not only to pure substances, but also to mixtures of contaminated soil, earth or sludge. The researchers are considering mobile systems that can be used on site, which would eliminate the need to transport these hazardous substances. A prototype has already been successfully tested.

  • First tower crane with its own power generation in operation in Baden

    First tower crane with its own power generation in operation in Baden

    The Baden Cantonal Hospital(KSB) is working with the Greenpower crane from Obwalden-based company rollende Werkstatt Kran AG for the renovation of its decommissioned ward block. According to a press release, it is the first tower crane in the world that can generate its own electricity.

    Depending on the operating situation, the crane can reduce electricity consumption by up to 50 per cent. It can also be operated with a smaller mains connection, which means lower installation costs and allows the crane to be used in locations with limited power capacity.

    This is made possible by the design with an integrated energy recovery system and battery storage. “When lowering loads or braking the crane functions, electrical energy is generated, stored and reused for subsequent work steps,” it says.

    With Greenpower, the manufacturer is focussing on the sustainable further development of crane use. “The system is a response to increasing requirements in terms of energy efficiency and grid availability on construction sites,” says Hansheini Dillier, Managing Director of rollende Werkstatt Kran AG.

    According to the press release, the device is used to remove building materials. They contain asbestos, PCBs, PAHs and heavy metals and date back to the construction period in the 1970s. At that time, materials were used for work on tiles and floor coverings, among other things, that are now considered harmful to health or the environment, according to KSB. Strict precautionary measures therefore apply to construction sites on old buildings in accordance with the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund and the Federal Office of Public Health.

    Dismantling of the building can only begin once the pollutants and contaminated sites have been properly disposed of. According to KSB CEO Pascal Cotrotzo, the demolition application is not yet legally binding. The remediation work is running independently of this and should be completed in spring 2026. Until then, the company is hoping for the “green light” from the relevant authorities.