Soil flushing and soil washing are two different methods used to remove contaminants in the soil.
The procedures are recommended before planting. It is essential to understand how each procedure works.
It is also good to identify why each method is used. This article also guides more on how effective each method is in removing contaminants in the soil.
The purpose of soil washing
Soil washing is a practice in gardening that aims at removing contaminants. Gardeners understand that so many contaminants can affect the soil quality. That is why new technologies for soil washing have been invented.
Soil washing is done using two main techniques. Among these techniques include chemical leaching and physical size separation. Both procedures are run concurrently to remove any contaminants from the soil.
Soil washing is common, especially for clay soils. This is because this type of soil contains many organic and inorganic contaminants. The soil also holds a lot of silt and particles that should be removed in preparation for planting.
The purpose of soil flushing
Soil flushing is also among the procedures that are common among gardeners. It is considered an efficient activity for soil remediation. This method is used to flush out heavy metals from the soil.
It involves the injection of different fluids into the soil. The liquid is then pumped out of the soil to remove the absorbed contaminants.
With the understanding of how each method works, it is good to identify some of the possible differences.
Significant differences between Soil Washing and Flushing
Four main differences can be identified when defining soil washing and flushing. Among these differences include how the procedures are handled.
- Differences in pre-treatment
One of the significant differences between flushing and soil washing is pre-treatment. In soil washing, there is a need to excavate the soil before pre-treatment.
The excavation allows for the reduction and separation of the soil. Gardeners, including trommels and hydro cyclones, use special equipment to separate the soil.
Soil flushing is different because it does not require excavation. The procedure only requires the installation of barriers and the injection of solution in the ground.
The procedure is considered much easier but can be complicated without the necessary expertise.
- Differences in soil treatment
There is also a difference in how the soil is treated for soil flushing and washing. Soil washing involves the removal of pollutants using soil fractions.
This is different from soil flushing, which involves using solutions on specific contaminated soil zones.
- Differences in post-treatment
Soil washing is aimed at stabilizing the soil fraction after treatment. It is considered a more rapid method that works best for highly polluted soils.
This is different from soil flushing, which engages soil treatment using groundwater. The method is only considered effective for specific soil zones.
- Differences in pros and cons
There are also different advantages and disadvantages of each soil treatment method.
Advantages
One of the main advantages of soil washing is the ability to remove pollutants from the soil permanently. However, soil flushing is only successful in coarse-textured soils. This means that it does not do well in other types of soils.
The advantage of soil flushing is that it does not cause a lot of disturbance in the soil. This is because it targets a specific area that is polluted. This is different from soil washing, which causes a lot of soil disturbance.
It causes significant changes to the soil composition. This includes nutrient removal that may reduce the quality of the soil.
Disadvantages
There is a high risk of ground soil pollution in using soil flushing compared to using soil washing. This is because soil washing is a more thorough procedure. However, both require a lot of caution to prevent further pollution of the ground soil.
Overall, there are similarities and differences between soil washing and flushing. The significant similarity is that the two techniques work best in removing contaminants from the soil. The main difference is in the way that these procedures are performed.
It is necessary to ensure that you have accurate information about each method before deciding to apply them for soil treatment. This can increase each technique’s efficiency and improve the treatment results.