WO2011109342A1

WO2011109342A1 - Methods and systems for electrochemically induced reduction of contaminants in groundwater, soils and low permeability media

Info

Publication number: WO2011109342A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/026607
Authority: WO
Inventors: Song Jin; Stacey Arens; Toni Mehraban; William H. Pedler
Original assignee: MWH Americas Inc
Current assignee: MWH Americas Inc
Priority date: 2010-03-01
Filing date: 2011-03-01
Publication date: 2011-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-01

Abstract

Electrochemically-induced oxidation-reduction reactions may be provided for efficient remediation of contaminated ground sites (2) and perhaps even pumping water well systems (140) using low-voltage electrical current (9) and electrodes (4), such as specifically designed bucking electrodes (100) In perhaps any type of matrix including low permeable media (3) and even high permeable media (14), multilayered medias, and the like systems.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ELECTROCHEMICALLY INDUCED REDUCTION OF CONTAMINANTS IN GROUNDWATER, SOILS AND LOW

PERMEABILITY MEDIA CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is an international patent application claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/303,269 filed March 1, 2010, hereby incorporated by reference herein. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The U.S. Government has a paid-up license to at least part of this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of DOD # 4P08/FA8903-08-D-8777 awarded by the Department of Defense.

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the technical field of contamination remediation, specifically methods and apparatus for creating electrochemically induced reduction of contaminants in various ground media to remediate and clean ground soil and water. Through perhaps three different aspects, the invention provides techniques and designs that can be used to efficiently remediate contaminants. These three aspects can exist perhaps independently and may relate to: 1) efficiently electrochemically inducing reduction of contaminants in various subsurfaces (e.g., not matrix limited) including low-permeable media as well as high- permeable media and mixtures thereof; 2) providing a unique electrode design to efficiently focus electrons in perhaps a high-resistivity media; and even 3) treating groundwater in pumping wells with electrically induced remediation techniques to clean the groundwater prior to removing it from the ground. BACKGROUND

Contaminants of higher oxidizing potentials (i.e., can accept electrons and be reduced) exampled by halogenated solvents (e.g., trichloroethene ("TCE")), nitrate, sulfate, metals with a high valent state (e.g., hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, etc.) may be amenable to reductive reactions to be degraded into a less harmful form. These contaminants are one of the major challenges facing the environmental and perhaps even mining (e.g., acid-mine drainage) industries. Some of these contaminants, such as TCE, belong to a group of non-aqueous phase liquids ("NAPLs"), which is of low water solubility and tends to accumulate in subsurface soils, groundwater, and sediments. Similar to other contaminants of elevated oxidizing potentials, reductive reactions may be applied in treating dense NAPLs ("DNAPLs") such as TCE. Reductive dechlorination mediated by electron donor amendments for microbial enhancements or zero-valent iron ("ZVI") have been applied in situ for porous (i.e., high permeability) media; however, these treatments may be less effective in low-permeable media ("LPM") such as clay soils. Low media permeability (which may be less than about 10^" 8 square centimeters [cm 2 ]) may reduce the effectiveness of most in situ treatments, including air sparging ("AS")/ soil vapor extraction ("SVE"), chemical oxidation, and enhanced biological reduction (e.g., electron donor amendments). Technologies that can achieve high efficiency of in situ remediation of NAPL, especially DNAPL-contaminated matrices are highly warranted. Techniques based on electrical-current technologies such as electrical resistance heating and electrokinetic remediation are emerging technologies that have been studied for treating NAPL- contaminated LPM. Depending on the electrical potential applied to the electrodes, electrokinetic processes (e.g., about 50 volts per meter [V m^"1]) or electrical resistance heating (e.g., about 70 V m^"1) can occur in the soils.

Electrokinetic remediation of DNAPL-contaminated LPM has been studied in both laboratory bench- and small field-scale tests where electric fields induce migration of contaminants through the treatment zones or to the electrodes where direct "electroreduction" occurs. Electrokinetic treatments were demonstrated to be effective in reducing chlorinated solvents in soil; however, electrokinetic treatment tends to be energy intensive. The treatment efficiency of electrokinetic remediation is limited by the migration capability of contaminants and the narrow reactive zone centered by the electrodes. The deployment of elevated electrical potential may also pose a safety hazard. Furthermore, current remedial technologies often have a large carbon footprint. Thus, the need exists to provide a contaminant remediation system which is effective in different types of media as well as efficient in its power consumption and the like.

As will be further discussed herein, simple experimental methods with electrochemically-induced oxidation-reduction ("redox") reactions ("EIR") have been used in the past efforts to degrade TCE in water as discussed in the article, "Degradation of trichloroethene in water by electron supplementation," Chemical Engineering Journal 140 (2008) 642-645 by Jin, Song, et al, hereby incorporated by reference herein. EIR may involve feeding an electrical current through electrodes which may create favorable conditions for redox reactions to occur in the medium between the electrodes. Unlike electrokinetic processes, EIR does not rely on the migration of contaminants toward the electrodes and the resultant reaction adjacent to the electrodes. However, this technology was not tested in situ and the complexities relating to the various media and perhaps even different layers of media types as related to in situ treatments were not studied. Since contemporary remedies such as electron donor amendment tend to be less or ineffective in treating chlorinated compounds in matrix of lower permeability, such as clay, this reference does not disclose or suggest that this technology would work with low permeable media. However and surprisingly, embodiments of the present invention now provide methods and apparatus for treatment of low permeable media using EIR methods. Also, unlike past treatments, the EIR method may be used with low voltages and amperages to provide a green technology for in situ contaminant remediation of contaminated soils, even in low permeable media, and perhaps even in multiple varying layers of different media, and the like.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As mentioned with respect to the field of invention, the invention includes a variety of aspects, which may be combined in different ways. The following descriptions are provided to list elements and describe some of the embodiments of the present invention. These elements are listed with initial embodiments, however it should be understood that they may be combined in any manner and in any number to create additional embodiments. The variously described examples and preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the present invention to only the explicitly described systems, techniques, and applications. Further, this description should be understood to support and encompass descriptions and claims of all the various embodiments, systems, techniques, methods, devices, and applications with any number of the disclosed elements, with each element alone, and also with any and all various permutations and combinations of all elements in this or any subsequent application.

Electrochemically induced reduction technology is based on the transportation of electrons between cathode and an anode to perhaps directly and indirectly be accepted by compounds of higher oxidizing potential and such process can reduce these compounds into less harmful constituents. EIR may work on weak current range that may require low voltage direct current input.

An object of the present invention may include, in embodiments, methods and apparatus for EIR in field applications and perhaps even in low-permeability media.

Another object of the present invention may include, in embodiments, the use of materials, including but not limited to copper, steel, stainless steel, copper-coated steel, graphite or other conductive materials in solid or hollow rods, piping, brushes, and other forms as electrodes for electricity delivery.

Another object of the present invention may include, in embodiments, the methods of determining effective voltage, amperage, electrical configuration, and electrical potential, as denominator(s) to evaluate and establish design parameters for the installation of electrodes, insulations, wires, multiplexers, inverters, and power sources in contaminated matrices such as soil and groundwater. Another object of the present invention may include, in embodiments, the layout of electrodes to initiate the optimal EIR in soil and groundwater.

In yet other objects of the present invention may include, in embodiments, using the EIR technique for remediating organic and inorganic compounds that can be potentially reduced. For example, some compounds may include chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, ferric iron, arsenate, cyanide, uranium, chromium (hexavalent), and selenium perhaps in a saturated subsurface such as groundwater, soils or the like.

The objects also may include, in embodiments, parameters and methods for performance monitoring of EIR.

Another object may include, in embodiments, designing an effective electrode to focus electrons in a subsurface media.

In yet another object of the present invention, embodiments may include EIR remediation of ground water prior to removal in a pumping well and the like. Naturally, further objects, goals and embodiments of the inventions are disclosed throughout other areas of the specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an example of a field application of EIR in remediating saturated soil and groundwater as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of capacitor structure of a subsurface matrix such as a soil particle during EIR as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the invention with a pair of electrodes located in a ground site and an example of a current flow through the subsurface.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the invention with a pair of electrodes located in a multi-layer ground site and an example of a current flow through the subsurface layers along with an example of the resistivity of each subsurface layer.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of an embodiment of the invention showing a bucking electrode pair and test bed configuration.

Figure 6 illustrates another example of an embodiment of the invention showing a guard and center portions of an electrode in a multi-layer bed configuration.

Figure 7 shows an example of an embodiment of the invention with a current flow from a pair of bucking electrodes through different subsurface layers.

Figure 8 shows an example of a field application of EIR in rejuvenating a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) containing zero valent iron (ZVI) for remediating saturated soil and groundwater as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 9 summarizes a column study of using EIR in degrading TCE in a saturated clay matrix.

Figure 10 shows the TCE concentration profiles through time in a laboratory setting in a soil matrix as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 11 shows an example of an electrode power assignment when bucking electrodes are used in conjunction with a permeable reactive barrier for remediation of saturated soils and groundwater as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 12 shows an example of a single bucking electrode design as used in the electrode configuration of Figure 11 as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 13 shows an alternative example of a single bucking electrode design as used in the electrode configuration of Figure 11 as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 14 shows an example of a single electrode design as used in the electrode configuration of Figure 11 perhaps used in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 15 shows an alternative example of a single electrode design as used in the electrode configuration of Figure 11 perhaps used in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 16 shows an example of an in- well placement of an electrode to treat groundwater using EIR as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 17 shows an example of a radial configuration of electrodes around a pumping well using EIR as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 18 shows an example of the placement of electrodes in a radial configuration around a pumping well using EIR as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As mentioned above, the invention discloses a variety of aspects that may be considered independently or in combination with others and which may be selected in different combinations based upon the particular application or needs to be addressed. The present invention includes remediation methods and apparatus which relate to electrochemically-induced oxidation-reduction ("redox") reactions ("EIR"). As discussed above, it may involve feeding an electrical current through perhaps at least one electrode or a plurality of electrodes which may create favorable conditions for redox reactions to occur in the medium near or even between the electrodes. In addition, the applied electric potential (E) for EIR may be substantially lower than that used in past technologies (e.g., E < about 12 V m^"1). As may be understood from Figures 1, 2 and 3, EIR may occur when a low voltage and amperage field is imposed in a conductive matrix (19) between a pair of electrodes (4), specifically between anodic and cathodic electrodes. Figure 3 shows an example of a pair of electrodes (4) as located below a ground surface (28) and within a water table (29) of a subsurface media. An example of a current flow (31) of an electrical current between the electrodes is shown. In embodiments, only one electrode, perhaps a grounded electrode may be used in an EIR system.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of capacitor structure of subsurface matrix such as a soil particle, where redox reaction zones may be created and interfaced on the outer Helmholtz plane (27) as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention. The hygroscopic water molecules (23) in the inner Helmholtz plane (26) may serve as a dielectric and the hydrated cations (24) may interface with the redox reaction zones (25) where electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions may be created. The induced electric field may be created with soil particles (22) acting as capacitors and discharging and recharging electricity. The redox reactions may be due to electrolysis of water where reaction (A) occurs at the anode and reaction (B) occurs at the cathode. Both reactions also can occur at the soil particle-water interface where the induced redox reaction results in the transformation of contaminants. For example, TCE may be reduced to ethene or ethane without accumulation of intermediates through an abiotic beta-elimination reaction (C). H₂0→ 2H⁺ + ½0_{2 (g)} + 2e (A) 2H₂0 + 2e^"→20H^" + H2 (_g) (B)

6e + C2HCI3 + 3H⁺→ C2H4 + 3Cr (C)

Generally, embodiments of the present invention may provide methods and systems for in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants. Figure 1 represents an example of an embodiment of an in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system (1). A contaminated ground site (2) may include a groundwater flow (34) and contaminants (13) perhaps in a dissolved phase groundwater plume (30). In embodiments, the contaminated ground site may even have at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media (3). At least one pair of electrodes (4) may be installed and thus may be located in the contaminated ground site (2). In the particular example shown in Figure 1, six cathodes (6) are placed across from six anodes (5). Due to the option of reversing the polarities of the electrodes, the cathode and anode arrangement may switch as discussed herein. It is noted that any number of electrodes may be used in remediation efforts and the example in Figure 1 is not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. A power source (7), which, for example, may be one or even a plurality of photovoltaic panel(s), may be provided and may be connected to the electrodes so that power (8) can be fed from the power source and through the electrodes (4). The electrodes may generate a low-voltage electrical current (9) perhaps between the electrodes which may provide supplemental electrons and may even create electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between the electrodes which may ultimately degrade at least some contaminants and provide a degradation of contaminants in the contaminated ground site.

The benefits of the various embodiments of EIR systems as discussed herein may include (1) not being matrix limited; (2) rapid remediation of contaminant reduction over a perhaps a short period of time; (3) cost effective (e.g., electrodes can be installed using readily available materials, such as stainless steel and PVC, and perhaps even readily available drilling techniques, such as direct push) (e.g., power costs may be low perhaps due to the low-voltage and low-current requirements); (4) sustainable (e.g., low voltage direct- current (DC) electricity requirements could be achieved by renewable sources such as solar power); (5) complete (e.g., contaminant breakdown, including TCE, may be achieved without producing intermediate or daughter products, without transferring contaminants to other media, and perhaps even in low-permeability soils); and perhaps even (6) transferable (e.g., EIR technology be implemented at a multitude of ground sites with TCE contamination, and perhaps even nitrate contamination, etc.).

A contaminated ground site (2) may have contaminated soil or media and groundwater and may even be formed of different layers of media which may pose a challenge in remediation efforts. EIR may be a technology which can efficiently and perhaps even successfully remediate contaminants in several different kinds of media as needed. Thus, in a contaminated ground site, an area of ground including its subsurface layer or even layers of media may be treated with EIR. Since ground formations may vary from one site to the next, each remediation system may be specifically tailored to provide adequate remediation. In embodiments, a contaminated ground site (2) may include subsurface media including but not limited to saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high-resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, all permutations and combinations of each of the above, and the like. Saturated media may refer to soil, sediment, groundwater and other subsurface features, whether natural or manmade, that possess adequate conductance to electricity. The generic term "saturated" does not necessarily comply to the definition for saturation that all porosities are filled with water. A contaminated ground site may have a combination of different layers, e.g., both a layer of low-permeable media (3) and perhaps even a layer of high-permeable media (14). A contaminated ground site may have a configuration of layers where there is a subsurface upper layer (15), a subsurface middle layer (16), and perhaps even a subsurface lower layer (17). In embodiments, a subsurface upper layer may be a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media, a subsurface middle layer may be a layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media, and perhaps even a subsurface lower layer may be a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media. As such, sites may have alternating subsurface layers, for example a layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media and a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media and vice versa and the like. As discussed herein, high-permeable media (14) may include sand and gravel and may even be a high-resistivity media.

Remarkably, the present invention provides contaminant remediation, specifically EIR, with low permeable media which may make up at least one layer or even at least two layers of a contaminated ground site. Prior to the present invention, it was unclear if low- voltage electrical current could be induced and even measured between two electrodes perhaps buried in alternating layers of clay and sand. Low-permeable media (3) may be media with a permeability including but not limited to less than about 10^"4 square centimeters (cm 2 ); less than about 10^" 8 cm 2 , about 6.6x10^" 12 cm 2 , less than about 6.6x10^" 12 cm 2 , between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm², and the like; and may even include clays, silts, clay soils, any combination thereof, and the like. In embodiments, low-permeable media may also be a low-resistivity media. Further, as mentioned above, EIR may be used to remediate different layers of media and even with various combinations of different media such that EIR may degrade contaminants in any layer, such as in both contaminated subsurface low-permeable media and high-permeable media within a site and perhaps even all at the same time.

Electrochemically induced reduction may also provide a solution to address diffusion issues which may plague contaminated sites and perhaps even TCE contaminated sites and thus prevention of diffusion in a contaminated ground site. Matrix diffusion may occur with plume persistence after source removal due to the back diffusion of TCE or other contaminants from low permeability sediments that have stored contaminants for years or even decades. Specifically, when low permeability media may be adjacent to contaminated high- permeability media, the concentration gradients may cause contaminants to diffuse into the low permeability media over time. When the contaminant concentrations may decrease in high permeability media (either by remediation or perhaps even by transport), the concentration gradient reverses and contaminants in the low permeability media may diffuse back into the high permeability media. Matrix diffusion may include the migration of contaminants driven by concentration gradients. Back diffusion may include the concentration gradient reversing.

Diffusion may be a significant issue in contaminant hydrogeology because it may be easier to remove or even treat contaminants in high permeability media by groundwater extraction or injection of remedial substrates. However, after the high permeability media are treated, contaminants that have diffused into low permeability media over years or decades begin to diffuse back into the high permeability sediments causing a contaminant rebound in the high permeability media. This may be referred to as the "matrix diffusion issue." When a monitoring well may intersect heterogeneous sediments or media (e.g., sands, silts, and clays), the bulk of what may be monitored/sampled may come from the high permeability media, perhaps because the water flows more freely into the well. The same may be true for most remedial technologies (i.e., it may be easier to remove or treat water in sands and gravels because the water flows more freely). So a site may often be thought to be remediated (based on sampling results) only to have concentrations increase over time due to back diffusion.

In embodiments, back diffusion and matrix diffusion may generally be synonymous when discussing contaminants migrating from a low permeability sediment or matrix. Matrix diffusion may be a more technical term and may be driven by concentration gradients (either into or out of sediment). Back diffusion may be more of a graphic term for explanation purposes and may refer to migration from low permeability sediments to high permeability sediments. Different kinds of contaminants (13) may be targeted for remediation and may include but are not limited to non-aqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, all permutations and combinations of each of the above, and the like. Embodiments of the present invention may provide degrading contaminants without creating intermediate byproducts and may even provide substantially complete degradation of contaminants. Substantially complete degradation of contaminants may include degrading an amount of contaminants including but not limited to greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%o, about 97%), about 98%, about 99%, and the like percentages of degradation of the contaminants. Specific to chlorinated solvents, for example, TCE, EIR remediation degradation may involve reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents in the contaminated ground site. Specifically, embodiments may include substantially completely degrading trichloroethene; such that the degradation of TCE was to below drinking water standards. Further, the present invention may provide efficiently degrading of contaminants as mentioned herein. For example, efficient degradation may be achieved when degradation may occur at a rate of about 6.9 g of contaminant per kWh. Of course, other rates may be determined. The contaminated ground site may already have constituents located therein providing in situ constituents (9) which may include but are not limited to iron, magnesium, titanium, all permutations and combinations of each, and the like. These constituents may enhance the electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between the electrodes.

An electrical field for EIR in contaminated ground sites can be oriented approximately perpendicular, parallel, and perhaps even at any angle to a groundwater flow direction and may span the width of the contaminated groundwater plume (30) and/or soils to be treated, or a portion thereof, as site conditions warrant and management decisions may dictate. The anode and cathode of an "alignment" can be placed at certain lateral distances away from each other as identified as necessary and these anode and cathode pairs can be placed at a distance and frequency downgradient as site conditions may warrant. The distance between the anode and cathode electrodes may be determined by the electrical potential that can be established in between, which may be dependent on the matrix resistance and perhaps even power input. For example, embodiments of the present invention may provide efficiently spacing electrodes in a contaminated ground site including but not limited to spacing electrodes at a distance (104) apart from each other of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, greater than about 1 meter, and the like. Figure 9 summarizes a column study of using EIR in degrading TCE in a saturated clay matrix. Different distances between the electrodes were tested and the efficiencies in TCE degradation were illustrated as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention. In embodiments of the present invention, EIR systems may provide a low-voltage electrical current (31) which may be sufficient to generate the redox reactions and degrade contaminants. For example, a low-voltage electrical potential may include an electric potential such as but not limited to less than about 35 V/m; less than about 12 V/m; between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m; between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m; about 6 V/m; about 9 V/m; about 12 V/m; less than about 9 V/m; less than about 6 V/m; about 1.5 V/m, and the like. An initial lower electrical potential (e.g., between about 5 - about 24 V/m) can be established and measured by using a multimeter and in-line data logger. The working electrical potential range may be between about 0.5 and about 50 V/m. Additional anode pairs, trips, quads, etc. and/or cathode pairs, trips, quads, etc. can be added cross-gradient as necessary to perhaps span the required treatment zone of the contaminated groundwater plume and/or soils of the contaminated ground site. Example of a current in the present invention may be between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps, in embodiments. The length of an electrode may vary depending on the depth and details of the contamination and subsurface properties.

Figure 10 shows the TCE concentration profiles through time in a laboratory setting in a soil matrix as may be understood in the various embodiments of the present invention. The four lines show TCE concentrations at various times under various electric fields. This graph illustrates an increased degradation rate of TCE in the presence of an electric field versus the baseline of no electric field (e.g., 0 V/m). Furthermore, an increased degradation rate is shown on the 12 V/m and the 24 V/m electric fields over an electric field of 6 V/m.

In embodiments, it may be desirable to provide degradation of electrodes or even bucking electrodes as discussed herein, at a substantially same rate. For example, a polarity of an electrical potential between electrodes may be reversed such that a potential and current flow of the anode and cathode may be switched as represented by the arrow (105) (e.g., anode becomes the cathode and cathode becomes the anode) in an effort to extend the working life of the electrodes. This switching may even prevent degredation of the electrodes. The reversal of a polarity may occur at any desired frequency and all options are meant to be included in this disclosure and may include but is not limited to seconds, minutes, hours, and perhaps even days, for example about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, about 4 days, or less or even more, and the like. This alternating may help improve electrode life and may even prevent migration of salts.

The anode(s) and cathode(s) of each alignment can be connected to a power source via electric field line(s) in accordance to relevant industry codes and standards to complete a circuit. A power source (7) may include, but is not limited to solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, all permutations and combinations of each of the above and the like. For example a power source may include a connection to a power grid and associated appurtenances or may be connected to a battery bank and photovoltaic panels and associated appurtenances or may be connected to a generator and associated appurtenances or to any other suitable power source. This could include AC or even DC power as the electricity source. Specific voltage, amperage, and photovoltaic panel sizes can be determined as field conditions dictate. The wires (35), such as an insulated electric field wire, connecting the electrodes to the power supply may be encapsulated wires in a protective conduit perhaps in and even from a junction box (32) to the power supply to prevent underground damage perhaps due to unauthorized digging, etc. Site conditions can dictate the health and safety requirements for each field application.

An electrode material may include, but is not limited to, solid, hollow, or perhaps even brush rods made of copper, graphite, copper-coated steel, steel, stainless steel, and the like materials. Thus, in embodiments, electrodes may be made of a material which includes but is not limited to conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, all permutations and combinations of each of the above, and the like. The electrodes may be installed and even oriented in a position approximately and perhaps even substantially vertically, substantially horizontally, perpendicular, parallel, or at any angle into a subsurface or even with respect to a ground site by several means including, but not limited to, drilling, direct pushing, direct driving, installed in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride ("PVC") casing, or the like methods. As a non-limiting example, Figure 5 shows a pair of electrodes installed in a vertical (107) orientation perhaps allowing perpendicular alignment of an electrical current. Installation of an electrode such as an anode may include enhancing electron distribution with the addition of an electron distribution enhancer, which could perhaps be installed in the annular space of the boring surrounding the electrode. The material used for the electron distribution enhancer may include, but is not limited to, coke breeze, iron filings, groundwater, and the like. The purpose of the electron distribution enhancer may be to distribute the flow of electrons to the subsurface media in a more uniform pattern. The electrodes can be placed at a depth required to satisfy project objectives and daylight into a junction box either above- or below-ground. The electrodes may be insulated above the saturated zone to the junction box to perhaps prevent transfer of electrons in the unsaturated zone. As can be understood from Figure 4, an example of resistivity is shown for layers of media for each of clay (36), silt (37), silty sand (38), fine sand (39), coarse sand (40), and gravel (41) of which shows the resistivity of electrode current within the various layers. As such, low-resistivity media (3), the lowest of this group may be the layer of clay (36), may have a resistivity of between about 0 to about 40 ohm-meters. Silt (37) may have a resistivity of between about 40 to about 80 ohm-meters. Silty sand (38) and fine sand (39) may have a resistivity of between about 80 to about 100 ohm-meters and between about 100 to about 150 ohm-meters, respectively. Coarse sand may have a resistivity of between about 150 to about 175 ohm-meters and gravel may have a resistivity of between about 175 and about 200 ohm- meters. As such, in embodiments, high-resistivity media (14) may include sand and gravel. In embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to use a special electrode design which may be beneficial for in situ contaminant remediation such as with EIR in contaminated ground sites perhaps with more resistive sands and gravels and even having different media layers, maybe even at least two layers as discussed herein. A problem with high-resistive media such as sands and gravels may be the inability to ensure that current will pass through the resistive sand perhaps when surrounded by more conductive clays and silts. Current may flow in a path of least resistance, so a means to focus the electrical field in high-resistivity media may be necessary. Further bucking electrodes may focus electrons into high resistivity soils such as sands and gravels where the bulk of contaminant mass transport may likely occur as well as into low resistivity soils such as silts and clays that may sorb contaminant mass and may be difficult to remediate. Thus, in general, a focused, guarded, or even bucking electrode (100) configuration may be used to address this problem. For example, a bucking electrode may be insulated perhaps with a bucking electrode insulator in saturated zone of a contaminated ground site perhaps even at multiple and various depths to confine or target a current into perhaps thin, horizontal geologic treatment layers in the subsurface. Thus, a bucking electrode may force electrons to run perpendicular to the electrode. Insulation materials (33) include, but are not limited to PVC (106), fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, and paint, coatings, tape, adhesives, and the like. Therefore, embodiments of a bucking electrode system may include installing at least one pair of bucking electrodes (100) located in a contaminated ground site; providing a power source connected to the pair of bucking electrodes; feeding power from the power source through the at least one pair of bucking electrodes; focusing an electrical field induced from at least part of the pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of the contaminated ground site to perhaps provide a focused electrical field (103); generating a low-voltage electrical current between the bucking electrodes; providing supplemental electrons from the low-voltage electrical current between the bucking electrodes; creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between the bucking electrodes; and perhaps even degrading at least some contaminants in the contaminated ground site. As can be understood from Figures 5, 6, and 7, bucking electrodes (100) may focus or may even force low-voltage electrical current from the bucking electrodes into at least part of a subsurface of a ground site, specifically in some cases into a high-resistivity media or layer thereof. As discussed above, this may include sand and gravel which can be more resistive to electricity than other types of media like clay and silts. Media which is resistive may make it harder and perhaps even less efficient to remediate the contaminants located therein. For example, it may be harder to efficiently achieve EIR remediation in more resistive media when perhaps it is surrounded by more conductive media, e.g. low-resistivity media, since the electrical field may follow the path of least resistance and thus may be diverted to flow into the conductive media and may not effectively flow through and thus remediate the high- resistivity media. Thus, to more efficiently degrade contaminants in a high resistivity media, the bucking electrode design may be used. It is noted that in some embodiments, not all of the electrodes used in a site may be bucking, there may be a combination of different kinds of electrodes. It is also noted that the focused electrical field of a bucking electrode may be designed or even configured based on a subsurface layer configuration as needed.

A bucking electrode (100) may have a constant electrical potential throughout and may even having a guard portion (101) and a center portion (102) of the electrode as shown in Figure 5 as one example thereof. A guard portion (101) may be located above and perhaps even below a center portion in some embodiments to provide an upper guard (108) and a lower guard (109). Thus, as an example for use in three layers of subsurface medias, a guard portion (101) of an electrode may be located in an upper layer (15), a center portion (102) of an electrode may be located in a middle layer (16), and perhaps even a guard portion (101) of an electrode may be located in a lower layer of a subsurface of a contaminated ground site. In a non-limiting example, an upper layer may be a silty clay (42) media, a middle layer may be a coarse sand (40) media, and a lower layer may be a silty clay (42) media as shown in Figure 6. In embodiments, a guard portion (101) may be located in a subsurface low- resistivity media (which may include clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof as discussed herein) and the center portion (102) may be located in a high-resistivity media (which may include sand pack, target sands, and the like as discussed herein). The guard electrodes may essentially flood the low resistivity zones perhaps above and below the center with electrons. Since the zones above and below a center electrode may be flooded with electrons, the electrons coming from the center electrodes may be forced to travel through the adjacent more-resistive layer adjacent to the center electrode.

As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 when using a pair of bucking electrodes including an anode (5) and a cathode (6), the system may have two sets of center and two sets of two outer guard electrodes. For each set, the outer guards may be connected to each other and may be placed in a more conductive material (silt, clay) adjacent to (above and below) a more resistive sand unit. The center electrodes may be placed in the sand unit and may be powered separately from the guards. By maintaining constant voltage for both the guards and center electrodes and perhaps even floating the amperage for each separate circuit (one for the guards, the other for the center), an electrical field may be developed between the guard sets that constrains, forces, focuses or even bucks the electric field, such as to create a forced electrical field (103), developed by the center electrodes to pass through the more resistive sand unit.

To illustrate, Figure 7 shows an example of how the current flow may be represented when using a bucking electrode (100). A cathode (6) and an anode (5), which of course may be alternated by switching polarities as represented by the arrow (105) and as discussed herein, may be placed in alternating layer configuration of clay (36), silt (37), and coarse sand (40) as shown. The guard (101) and center (102) electrode portions may provide a flood zone (110) to create a forced or even focused electrical field (103) from the center (102) electrode.

In embodiments, the present invention may provide monitoring of a contaminated ground site, perhaps with a performance monitor (55) or the like. The monitoring may provide feedback on the system operation which may provide optimal parameters and may even allow for any modifications during the system test. The monitoring network for EIR may include two sets of data; one for quantifying the remedial efficiency of EIR and perhaps one for use in the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure. The remedial groundwater monitoring network may include, but is not limited to, upgradient and downgradient monitoring wells or piezometers located in such a manner as to identify and potentially quantify the reduction of contamination. For example, it may be desirable to monitor a system by adding at least one monitoring well to a contaminated ground site; adding at least one upgradient monitoring well to a contaminated ground site; adding at least one downgradient monitoring well to a contaminated ground site; identifying a reduction of the contaminants; monitoring a low-voltage electrical current between the electrodes with perhaps a voltage monitor; monitoring the electrodes with perhaps an electrode monitor; on- site monitoring a contaminated ground site with perhaps an on-site performance monitor; off- site monitoring a contaminated ground site with perhaps an off-site performance monitor, online monitoring a contaminated ground site with perhaps an on-line performance monitor, and perhaps even real time monitoring a contaminated ground site with perhaps a real time performance monitor. Embodiments may also include recording system parameters or other monitoring information in a recorder (50).

The robustness of the monitoring network can be based on the data quality objectives of the site and the site conditions (groundwater contamination concentrations, groundwater velocity, project goals, etc.). The operational monitoring network may include required instrumentation either temporary or permanent to ensure the appropriate electrical field may be applied and distributed to the contaminated soil, groundwater and/or other subsurface features. Non-limiting examples of equipment and instrumentation that may be required include multiplexers, rectifiers, ammeter, ohmmeters, data logger, calculator, and the like. Parameters monitored may include but are not limited to voltage, resistance, amperage, matrix H, temperature, specific conductance, and the like. Non-limiting key denominators that may be used to establish and adjust the EIR system may include amperage, voltage, and electrical potential (in amperage/distance or voltage/distance). Soil and groundwater monitoring parameters to measure or quantify may include the contaminant of concern, potential degradation products, and other biological and geochemical parameters and species that may form in the presence of an electrical current, as pertinent. Other parameters and analytes may include, but are not limited to, pH, temperature, conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential ("ORP"), dissolved oxygen ("DO"), chloride, ethene, ethane, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, ferric iron, ferrous iron, total iron, sulfate, sulfide, microbial populations (e.g., denitrifying, metal reducing, sulfate reducing, dehalogenating, methanogenic bacteria, and the like), and other common cations and anions. Frequency of measurement can depend on site conditions and may include field portable measurement and on-site or off-site laboratories.

Operational monitoring parameters to monitor, measure, and perhaps even adjust may include, but are not limited to, voltage, electrical potential, current, matrix resistance, amperage, matrix pH, temperature, and the like. Frequency of measurement may depend on site conditions and final design, perhaps ranging from online (real time monitoring using data logging, sensor probes, or multimeters connected between the power source and electrodes) to biannual or annual monitoring, and the like.

The present invention may provide embodiments where in implementing an EIR technology in reducing contaminants, it may be used with at least one additional remediation technology such as but not limited to a permeable reactive barrier ("PRB") (51) as shown in Figure 8 or even a zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier. Permeable reactive barrier techniques may be used to reduce contaminants, specifically TCE. However, by itself, a PRB may not be effective in the contaminant reduction. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide EIR remediation perhaps upgradient of an existing zero-valent iron PBR to perhaps reduce or even substantially completely reduce contaminants such as TCE concentrations in groundwater before reaching a PRB. Alternatively, EIR remediation may reduce TCE concentrations to levels that can be further reduced or even polished by a downgradient PRB.

To illustrate, an electrode power assignment is shown in Figure 11 which includes a non-liming example of system having both bucking electrodes (100) and electrodes used with a permeable reactive barrier (PBR) (51). A power assignment (56) may be configured between each electrode as shown in this example. Guard power supplies (43) and center power supplies (44) may be connected to the electrodes in a variety of different ways. In this example, four power supplies are used; however any number of power supplies or maybe even one supply may be used depending on the circumstances. The electrodes (4) of this arrangement may be located through an upper layer of clays and silts (52), a target sand layer (53), and perhaps even a lower layer of silts (54). As further examples of electrode design configurations, Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 show options as to the depth (60) perhaps in feet of the electrodes (4), as well as the PVC (106) areas and exposed electrode areas (111) of the electrode. Of course, these are merely provided as examples of a field site implementation option and other configurations and options may be used and are within the scope of this invention.

In other embodiments, the present invention may provide methods and systems of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants in a pumping well so that perhaps groundwater may be cleaned in-situ and perhaps even before being removed from the well. As can be understood from the non-limiting example of Figure 16, embodiments of the present invention may include providing a contaminated ground site (2) having at least one pumping water well system (140); flowing water (142) into the pumping water well; installing at least one grounded electrode (141) into the water well; connecting a power source (7) to the grounded electrode (141); feeding power, perhaps through wires (35) from the power source through the grounded electrode; generating a low-voltage electrical current from the grounded electrode; providing supplemental electrons from the grounded electrode; creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near and even at the grounded electrode; degrading at least some contaminants in the contaminated ground site; and perhaps even supplying substantially clean water from the pumping water well. Specifically, Figure 16 illustrates a non-limiting example of a pumping water well system used in conjunction with EIR remediation. A ground (145) for an electrode (4) may be provided so that the grounded electrode (141) may provide redox reactions and degrade the contaminants as water may flow (142) into the pumping well (147). Alternatively, other embodiments may include at least two electrodes located within a pumping well; the electrodes may be bucking electrodes, a pair of bucking electrodes, non-bucking electrodes, mixtures thereof, and the like. In embodiments, a pumping well (147) may include a slotted casing. A water table (144) may illustrate where the soil becomes mixed with groundwater. A groundwater pump (146) may be used to carry out the clean water to an above ground discharge (148) after it may be remediated with the EIR technology. Of course, the depth of a soil level (61) may vary as well as the length and depth of the area (62) which may include the electrode size, well casing, groundwater elevation and the like as varying factors.

In other embodiments, an electrode (100) design may be used with a water well embodiment where at least one electrode, at least one pair of bucking electrodes, at least one pair of electrodes, combinations thereof, or the like may be installed near at least one pumping water well of a contaminated ground site where redox reactions may be created to degrade at least some contaminants in the contaminated ground site which may provide a supply of substantially clean water from the pumping water well. As one non-limiting example is illustrated in Figure 17, a pair of bucking electrodes (100) may be placed outside a pumping well (147) and may be configured to provide a guard portion (101) in a layer of silt/clay media (52), a center portion (102) in a layer of sand media (53) and perhaps even an additional guard portion (101) in a layer of lower silt/clay media (52). Of course and as applied to all embodiments discussed herein, the location, depth, distance, and perhaps even radial configuration (63) of the electrodes around a pumping well may vary. For example, as illustrated in Figure 18, it may be desirable to provide two pairs of bucking electrodes (100), thus about four bucking electrodes radially configured around and perhaps even near a perimeter outside of a pumping well (147) to remediate the water as it flows into the well. Examples of alternative claims may include:

1. A method of in situ contaminant remediation comprising the steps of:

installing at least one pair of bucking electrodes in a contaminated ground site;

providing a power source connected to said at least one pair of bucking electrodes; feeding power from said power source through said at least one pair of bucking electrodes;

focusing an electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site;

generating a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of said bucking electrodes;

providing supplemental electrons from said low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes;

creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes; and

degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site.

2. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing an electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of focus said electrical field through a layer of subsurface high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

3. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

4. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 3 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said high-resistivity media.

5. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of providing a constant electrical potential throughout said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode above and below said center portion of said bucking electrode.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode in a subsurface low-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 8 or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface low-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said center portion of said bucking electrode in a high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 11 or any other claim herein wherein said step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes with an insulation material selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing said electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of forcing said supplemental electrons to run perpendicular to said bucking electrode.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of orienting said at least one pair of electrodes in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of efficiently spacing said at least one pair of bucking electrodes in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 15 or any other claim herein wherein said step of efficiently spacing said at least one pair of bucking electrodes in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of spacing said at least one pair of electrodes at a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of installing at least one pair of bucking electrodes into said contaminated ground site comprises the step of installing at least one pair of electrodes into said contaminated ground site with an installation method selected from a group consisting of drilling, direct pushing, direct driving, and installing in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride casing.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of bucking electrodes are made of a material selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a substantially same rate.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 19 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a same rate comprises the step of reversing a polarity of an electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 20 or any other claim herein wherein said step of reversing said polarity of said electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of reversing said polarity between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a frequency selected from a group consisting of about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, and about 4 days.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises at least two subsurface layers of different media.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 22 or any other claim herein wherein said at least two subsurface layers of different media comprises a high-resistivity media layer and a low-resistivity media layer.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 23 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of configuring a focused electrical field on at least one part of said bucking electrodes based on a subsurface layer configuration. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media comprises a high permeable media.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 8 or any other claim herein wherein said low-resistivity media comprises a low permeable media.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 26 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ; - about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of preventing diffusion in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least some contaminants comprises the step of providing reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes comprises the step of generating an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of generating a low-voltage electrical current in a conductive matrix between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a power source connected to said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of providing a DC power source connected to said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of nonaqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 34 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants comprises the step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 35 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene comprises the step of degrading said trichloroethylene to below drinking water standards.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises subsurface media selected from a group consisting of saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high-resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading an amount of contaminants selected from a group consisting of greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, and about 99%.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises a current between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said power source is selected from a group consisting of solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site with at least one additional remediation technology.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 41 or any other claim herein wherein said at least additional remediation technology comprises a permeable reactive barrier.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of monitoring said contaminated ground site. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground side comprises a step selected from a group consisting of: adding at least one monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one upgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one downgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; identifying a reduction of said contaminants; monitoring said low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes; and monitoring said at least one pair of electrodes.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises the step of monitoring operational monitoring parameters selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises a step selected from a group of on-site monitoring said contaminated ground site, off- site monitoring said contaminated ground site, on-line monitoring said contaminated ground site, and real time monitoring said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants comprising the steps of:

providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media;

installing at least one electrode into said contaminated ground site;

providing a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

feeding power from said power source through said at least one electrode;

generating a low-voltage electrical current near said at least one electrode;

providing supplemental electrons from said low-voltage electrical current generated from said at least one electrode;

creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode; and

degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media is selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises at least two layers of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media further comprises at least one layer of high-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media comprises a high-resistivity media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a low-resistivity media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises the step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media and at least one layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 54 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of providing a subsurface upper layer, a subsurface middle layer, and a subsurface lower layer in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 55 or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface upper layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media; or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface middle layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media; and or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface lower layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises the step of providing a contaminated ground site having alternating subsurface layers of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media and contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of preventing diffusion in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least some contaminants comprises the step of providing reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said layer of high-permeable media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current comprises the step of generating an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m; - about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current near said at least one electrode comprises the step of generating a low-voltage electrical current in a conductive matrix near said at least one electrode. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a power source connected to said at least one electrode comprises the step of providing a DC power source connected to said at least one electrode.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of enhancing said electochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeability media with in situ constituents in said contaminated subsurface low-permeability media.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 65 or any other claim herein wherein said constituents are selected from a group consisting of iron, magnesium, titanium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants without creating intermediate byproducts.

A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of non-aqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

69. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeability media of said contaminated ground site.

70. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 69 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeability media comprises the step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low- permeability media.

71. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 70 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low- permeability media comprises the step of degrading said trichloroethylene to below drinking water standards.

72. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises subsurface media selected from a group consisting of saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high- resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

73. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of enhancing electron distribution from said at least one electrode.

74. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 73 or any other claim herein wherein said step of enhancing electron distribution from said at least one electrode comprises an electrode distribution enhancer selected from a group consisting of coke breeze, iron fillings, and groundwater in said contaminated ground site.

75. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of efficiently degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low- permeable media of said contaminated ground site.

76. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 75 or any other claim herein wherein said step of efficiently degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low- permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at a rate of about 6.9 g of TCE per kWh.

77. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading an amount of contaminants selected from a group consisting of greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, and about 99%.

78. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises a current between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps.

79. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said power source is selected from a group consisting of solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

80. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of encapsulating wires from said power source to said at least one electrode.

81. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 80 or any other claim herein wherein said step of encapsulating wires from said power source to said at least one electrode comprises the step of encapsulating wires from said power source to said at least one electrode in a junction box.

82. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site with said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions and with at least one additional remediation technology.

83. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 82 or any other claim herein wherein said at least additional remediation technology comprises a permeable reactive barrier.

84. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of monitoring said contaminated ground site.

85. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 85 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground side comprises a step selected from a group consisting of: adding at least one monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one upgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one downgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; identifying a reduction of said contaminants; monitoring said low-voltage electrical current near said at least one electrode; and monitoring said at least one electrode.

86. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 84 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises the step of monitoring operational monitoring parameters selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

87. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 84 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises a step selected from a group of on-site monitoring said contaminated ground site, off-site monitoring said contaminated ground site, on-line monitoring said contaminated ground site, and real time monitoring said contaminated ground site.

88. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of adjusting a parameter of said at least one electrode.

89. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 88 or any other claim herein wherein said parameter is selected from a group consisting of amperage, voltage, and electrical potential.

90. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of installing at least one electrode into said contaminated ground site comprises the step of installing at least one pair of bucking electrodes into said contaminated ground site.

91. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 90 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of focusing said low-voltage electrical current from said at least one pair of bucking electrodes into a high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

92. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 91 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

93. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 92 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said high-resistivity media through said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

94. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 90 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of providing a constant electrical potential throughout said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

95. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 90 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

96. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 95 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode above and below said center portion of said bucking electrode.

97. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 95 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode in a low-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

98. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 95 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said center portion of said bucking electrode in a high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

99. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 90 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

100. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 99 or any other claim herein wherein said step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes with an insulation material selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives.

101. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 91 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing said low-voltage electrical current from said at least one pair of bucking electrodes into said high- resistivity media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of forcing said supplemental electrons to run perpendicular to said bucking electrode. 102. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of orienting said at least one electrode in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

103. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of efficiently spacing at least one pair of electrodes in said contaminated ground site.

104. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 103 or any other claim herein wherein said step of efficiently spacing said at least one pair of electrodes in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of spacing said at least one pair of electrodes at a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter.

105. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of installing at least one electrode into said contaminated ground site comprises the step of installing at least one electrode into said contaminated ground site with an installation method selected from a group consisting of drilling, direct pushing, direct driving, and installing in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride casing.

106. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode are made of a material selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

107. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading at least one pair of electrodes at a substantially same rate.

108. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 107 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least one pair of electrodes at a same rate comprises the step of reversing a polarity of an electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of electrodes.

109. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 108 or any other claim herein wherein said step of reversing said polarity of said electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of electrodes comprises the step of reversing said polarity between each of said at least one pair of electrodes at a frequency selected from a group consisting of about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, and about 4 days.

110. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants comprising the steps of:

providing a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

flowing water into said at least one pumping water well;

installing at least one grounded electrode into said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

connecting a power source to said at least one grounded electrode in said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

feeding power from said power source through said at least one grounded electrode; generating a low-voltage electrical current from said at least one grounded electrode; providing supplemental electrons from said at least one grounded electrode;

creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one grounded electrode;

degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site; and supplying substantially clean water from said at least one pumping water well in said contaminated ground site.

111. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants comprising the steps of:

providing a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

flowing water into said at least one pumping water well;

installing at least one electrode near said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

connecting a power source to said at least one electrode near said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

feeding power from said power source through said at least one electrode;

generating a low-voltage electrical current near at least one electrode;

providing supplemental electrons from said at least one electrode;

creating electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode;

112. An in situ contaminant remediation system comprising:

a contaminated ground site;

at least one pair of bucking electrodes located in said contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one pair of said bucking electrodes;

a focused electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and forced through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site; a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes to generate electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes; and

a degradation of at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

113. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said focused electrical field comprises a focused electric field forced through a high-resistivity media.

114. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 113 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

115. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 114 or any other claim herein and further comprising a degradation of at least some contaminants in said high-resistivity media based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

116. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrodes comprise a constant electrical potential throughout each of said bucking electrodes.

117. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

118. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 117 or any other claim herein wherein said guard portion of said bucking electrode is located above and below a center portion of said bucking electrode.

119. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 117 or any other claim herein wherein said guard portion of said bucking electrode is located in a low- resistivity media.

120. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 119 or any other claim herein wherein said low-resistivity media comprises a media selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

121. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 117 or any other claim herein wherein said center portion of said bucking electrode is located in a high- resistivity media.

122. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a bucking electrode insulator.

123. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 122 or any other claim herein wherein said insulator is selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives. 124. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 113 or any other claim herein wherein said focused electrical field is forced to run perpendicular from a center portion of a bucking electrode.

125. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of electrodes are oriented in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

126. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of electrodes are efficiently spaced apart from each other.

127. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 126 or any other claim herein wherein said efficiently spaced electrodes are spaced at a distance a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter.

128. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of bucking electrodes are installed with an installation method selected from a group consisting of drill installation, direct push installation, direct drive installation, and installed in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride casing.

129. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of bucking electrodes are made of a material selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above. 130. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a substantially same rate of degradation of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

131. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 130 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially same rate of degradation of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises a reversal of a polarity between said bucking electrodes.

132. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 131 or any other claim herein wherein said reversal of a polarity between said bucking electrodes at a frequency selected from a group consisting of about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, and about 4 days.

133. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises at least two subsurface layers of different media.

134. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 133 or any other claim herein wherein said at least two subsurface layers of different media comprises a high-resistivity media layer and a low-resistivity media layer.

135. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 134 or any other claim herein wherein said focused electrical field is configured to force said electrical field through parts of said subsurface of said contaminated ground site based on said subsurface layer configuration.

136. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 113 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media comprises a high permeable media.

137. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 119 or any other claim herein wherein said low-resistivity media comprises a low permeable media.

138. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 137 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²; 8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a diffusion prevention of said contaminants.

An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said at least some contaminants comprises reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes comprises an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a conductive matrix between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said power source comprises a DC power source.

An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of nonaqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

145. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said contaminants comprises a substantially complete degradation of said contaminants.

146. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 145 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially complete degradation of said contaminants comprises substantially complete degradation of said trichloroethylene.

147. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 146 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially complete degradation of said trichloroethylene comprises a trichloroethylene contaminant level below a drinking water standard.

148. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises subsurface media selected from a group consisting of saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high-resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

149. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said efficient degradation of at least some contaminants comprises a percentage of degradation selected from a group consisting of greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, and about 99%.

150. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises a current between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps.

151. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said power source is selected from a group consisting of solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

152. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising at least one additional contamination remediation technology.

153. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 152 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one additional contamination remediation technology comprises a permeable reactive barrier.

154. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a performance monitor.

155. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 154 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises at least one monitoring well; at least one upgradient monitoring well; at least one downgradient monitoring well; a contaminant reduction identifier; a voltage monitor; and an electrode monitor.

156. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 154 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises an operational parameter monitor, said operational parameter monitor selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

157. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 154 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor is selected from a group consisting of on- site performance monitor, off-site performance monitor, on-line performance monitor, and real time performance monitor.

158. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system comprising:

a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low- permeable media;

at least one electrode located in said contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

a low-voltage electrical current from said at least one electrode to generate electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode; and

a degradation of at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode.

159. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises a media selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

160. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises at least two layers of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

161. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site further comprises at least one layer of subsurface high-permeable media.

162. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 161 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

163. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 161 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media comprises high- resistivity media.

164. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises low- resistivity media.

165. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media and at least one layer of at least one layer of subsurface high-permeable media.

166. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

165 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises a subsurface upper layer, a subsurface middle layer, and a subsurface lower layer.

167. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

166 or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface upper layer comprises a low- permeable media; or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface middle layer comprises a high-permeable media; or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface lower layer comprises a low-permeable media.

168. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises alternating subsurface layers of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media and contaminated subsurface low-permeable media

169. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^~12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm²

170. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising a diffusion prevention of said contaminants.

171. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said at least some contaminants comprises reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

172. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 161 or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said at least some contaminants comprises degradation of at least some contaminants in said high- permeable media of said contaminated ground site.

173. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m; - less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

174. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising a conductive matrix near said at least one electrode.

175. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said power source comprises a DC power source.

176. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising in situ constituents in said subsurface of said contaminated ground site.

177. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 176 or any other claim herein wherein said constituents are selected from a group consisting of iron, magnesium, titanium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

178. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of non-aqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

179. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said contaminants comprises a substantially complete degradation of said contaminants.

180. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

179 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially complete degradation of said contaminants comprises substantially complete degradation of said trichloroethylene.

181. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

180 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially complete degradation of said trichloroethylene comprises a trichloroethylene contaminant level below a drinking water standard.

182. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises subsurface media selected from a group consisting of saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high- resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

183. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising an electron distribution enhancer.

184. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 183 or any other claim herein wherein said electron distribution enhancer is selected from a group consisting of coke breeze, iron fillings, and groundwater in said contaminated ground site.

185. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of at least some contaminants comprises efficient degradation of at least some contaminants.

186. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 185 or any other claim herein wherein said efficient degradation of at least some contaminants comprises a degradation rate of about 6.9 g of TCE per kWh.

187. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said efficient degradation of at least some contaminants comprises a percentage of degradation selected from a group consisting of greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%>, about 91%>, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, and about 99%.

188. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises a current between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps.

189. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said power source is selected from a group consisting of solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

190. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising encapsulated wires from said power source to said at least one electrode.

191. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 190 or any other claim herein wherein said encapsulated wires comprises a junction box.

192. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising at least one additional contamination remediation technology.

193. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 192 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one additional contamination remediation technology comprises a permeable reactive barrier.

194. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising a performance monitor.

195. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 194 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises at least one monitoring well; at least one upgradient monitoring well; at least one downgradient monitoring well; a contaminant reduction identifier; a voltage monitor; and an electrode monitor. 196. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 194 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises an operational parameter monitor, said operational parameter monitor selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

197. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 194 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor is selected from a group consisting of on-site performance monitor, off-site performance monitor, online performance monitor, and real time performance monitor.

198. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising a parameter adjustment.

199. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 198 or any other claim herein wherein said parameter adjustment comprises parameter is selected from a group consisting of amperage, voltage, and electrical potential.

200. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode comprises at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

201. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

200 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrodes focus said low-voltage current into a high-resistivity media.

202. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

201 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

203. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

202 or any other claim herein and further comprising a degradation of at least some contaminants in said high-resistivity media based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

204. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 200 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrodes comprise a constant electrical potential throughout each of said bucking electrodes. 205. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 200 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

206. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 205 or any other claim herein wherein said guard portion of said bucking electrode is located above and below a center portion of said bucking electrode.

207. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 205 or any other claim herein wherein said guard portion of said bucking electrode is located in a low-resistivity media.

208. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 205 or any other claim herein wherein said center portion of said bucking electrode is located in a high-resistivity media.

209. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

200 or any other claim herein and further comprising a bucking electrode insulator.

210. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 209 or any other claim herein wherein said insulator is selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives.

211. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

201 or any other claim herein wherein said focused low-voltage current is forced to run perpendicular from a center portion of a bucking electrode.

212. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode is oriented in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

213. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode comprises at least one pair of electrodes efficiently spaced apart from each other. 214. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 213 or any other claim herein wherein said efficiently spaced electrodes are spaced at a distance a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter.

215. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode is installed with an installation method selected from a group consisting of drill installation, direct push installation, direct drive installation, and installed in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride casing.

216. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode are made of a material configuration selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

217. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein and further comprising a substantially same rate of degradation of at least one pair of electrodes.

218. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

217 or any other claim herein wherein said substantially same rate of degradation of said at least one pair of electrodes comprises a reversal of a polarity between said electrodes.

219. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim

218 or any other claim herein wherein said reversal of a polarity between said electrodes at a frequency selected from a group consisting of about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, and about 4 days.

220. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode comprises at least one pair of electrodes.

221. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode comprises at least one pair of electrodes.

222. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system comprising:

a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

at least one grounded electrode located in said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one grounded electrode;

a low-voltage electrical current from said at least one grounded electrode to generate electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one grounded electrode;

a degradation of at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one grounded electrode; and

substantially remediated clean water in said at least one pumping water well.

223. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system comprising:

a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

at least one electrode located near said at least one pumping water well of said contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

a low-voltage electrical current from said at least one electrode to generate electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode;

a degradation of at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode; and substantially remediated clean water in said at least one pumping water well.

As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. It involves both contaminant remediation techniques as well as devices to accomplish the appropriate reduction of contaminants. In this application, the contaminant remediation techniques are disclosed as part of the results shown to be achieved by the various devices described and as steps that are inherent to utilization. They are simply the natural result of utilizing the devices as intended and described. In addition, while some devices are disclosed, it should be understood that these not only accomplish certain methods but also can be varied in a number of ways. Importantly, as to all of the foregoing, all of these facets should be understood to be encompassed by this disclosure.

The discussion included in this patent application is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; many alternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. Apparatus claims may not only be included for the device described, but also method or process claims may be included to address the functions the invention and each element performs. Neither the description nor the terminology is intended to limit the scope of the claims that will be included in any subsequent patent application.

It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. They still fall within the scope of this invention. A broad disclosure encompassing the explicit embodiment(s) shown, the great variety of implicit alternative embodiments, and the broad methods or processes and the like are encompassed by this disclosure and may be relied upon when drafting the claims for any subsequent patent application. It should be understood that such language changes and broader or more detailed claiming may be accomplished at a later date (such as by any required deadline) or in the event the applicant subsequently seeks a patent filing based on this filing. With this understanding, the reader should be aware that this disclosure is to be understood to support any subsequently filed patent application that may seek examination of as broad a base of claims as deemed within the applicant's right and may be designed to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of the invention both independently and as an overall system. Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. Additionally, when used or implied, an element is to be understood as encompassing individual as well as plural structures that may or may not be physically connected. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms— even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, as but one example, the disclosure of a "zone" should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of "zoning"— whether explicitly discussed or not— and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of "zoning", such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a "zone" and even a "means for zoning." Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description. Any patents, publications, or other references mentioned in this application for patent are hereby incorporated by reference. Any priority case(s) claimed by this application is hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with a broadly supporting interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood as incorporated for each term and all definitions, alternative terms, and synonyms such as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition are hereby incorporated by reference. Finally, all references listed below or other information statement filed with the application are hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference, however, as to each of the above, to the extent that such information or statements incorporated by reference might be considered inconsistent with the patenting of this/these invention(s) such statements are expressly not to be considered as made by the applicant(s).

LIST OF REFERENCES I. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

II. NON-PATENT LITERATURE DOCUMENTS

Jin, Song; Electrically induced reduction of trichloroethene in clay; Journal of Hazardous

Materials 173 (2010) 200-204

Morris, Jeffrey; Enhanced denitrification through microbial and steel fuel-cell generated electron transport; Chemical Engineering Journal 153 (2009) 37-42

Carrigan, C.R. et al; Predictive and Diagnostic Simulation of In Situ Electrical

Heating in Contaminated, Low-Permeability Soils; Environ. Sci. Technol., 2000, 34 (22),

4835-4841^» DPI: 10.1021/esOO 1506k ^» Publication Date (Web): 07 October 2000

Ho, Sa V., et al; The Lasagna Technology for In Situ Soil Remediation. 2. Large Field Test;

Environ. Sci. Technol, 1999, 33 (7), 1092-1099 ^» DPI: 10.1021/es980414g

Ho, Sa V., et al; The Lasagna Technology for In Situ Soil Remediation. 1. Small Field Test;

Environ. Sci. Technol, 1999, 33 (7), 1086-1091 ^» DPI: 10.1021/es980414g

Jin, Song, et al; Degradation of trichloroethene in water by electron Supplementation;

Chemical Engineering Journal 140 (2008) 642-645

Unites States Provisional Application Number 61/309,269 filed March 1, 2010, entitled

Electrochemically-Induced Reduction of Contaminants in Soil and Groundwater

Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to have support to claim and make a statement of invention to at least: i) each of the remediation devices as herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) each system, method, and element shown or described as now applied to any specific field or devices mentioned, x) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, xi) the various combinations and permutations of each of the elements disclosed, xii) each potentially dependent claim or concept as a dependency on each and every one of the independent claims or concepts presented, and xiii) all inventions described herein.

With regard to claims whether now or later presented for examination, it should be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid great expansion of the examination burden, the applicant may at any time present only initial claims or perhaps only initial claims with only initial dependencies. The office and any third persons interested in potential scope of this or subsequent applications should understand that broader claims may be presented at a later date in this case, in a case claiming the benefit of this case, or in any continuation in spite of any preliminary amendments, other amendments, claim language, or arguments presented, thus throughout the pendency of any case there is no intention to disclaim or surrender any potential subject matter. It should be understood that if or when broader claims are presented, such may require that any relevant prior art that may have been considered at any prior time may need to be re-visited since it is possible that to the extent any amendments, claim language, or arguments presented in this or any subsequent application are considered as made to avoid such prior art, such reasons may be eliminated by later presented claims or the like. Both the examiner and any person otherwise interested in existing or later potential coverage, or considering if there has at any time been any possibility of an indication of disclaimer or surrender of potential coverage, should be aware that no such surrender or disclaimer is ever intended or ever exists in this or any subsequent application. Limitations such as arose in Hakim v. Cannon Avent Group, PLC, 479 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir 2007), or the like are expressly not intended in this or any subsequent related matter. In addition, support should be understood to exist to the degree required under new matter laws— including but not limited to European Patent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132 or other such laws— to permit the addition of any of the various dependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim or concept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim or concept. In drafting any claims at any time whether in this application or in any subsequent application, it should also be understood that the applicant has intended to capture as full and broad a scope of coverage as legally available. To the extent that insubstantial substitutes are made, to the extent that the applicant did not in fact draft any claim so as to literally encompass any particular embodiment, and to the extent otherwise applicable, the applicant should not be understood to have in any way intended to or actually relinquished such coverage as the applicant simply may not have been able to anticipate all eventualities; one skilled in the art, should not be reasonably expected to have drafted a claim that would have literally encompassed such alternative embodiments.

Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase "comprising" is used to maintain the "open-end" claims herein, according to traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it should be understood that the term "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", are intended to imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive form so as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible. The use of the phrase, "or any other claim" is used to provide support for any claim to be dependent on any other claim, such as another dependent claim, another independent claim, a previously listed claim, a subsequently listed claim, and the like. As one clarifying example, if a claim were dependent "on claim 20 or any other claim" or the like, it could be re-drafted as dependent on claim 1, claim 15, or even claim 715 (if such were to exist) if desired and still fall with the disclosure. It should be understood that this phrase also provides support for any combination of elements in the claims and even incorporates any desired proper antecedent basis for certain claim combinations such as with combinations of method, apparatus, process, and the like claims.

The use of the phrase, "or any other claim" is used to provide support for any claim to be dependent on any other claim, such as another dependent claim, another independent claim, a previously listed claim, a subsequently listed claim, and the like. It should be understood that this phrase also provides support for any combination of elements in the claims and even incorporates any desired proper antecedent basis for certain claim combinations such as with combinations of method, apparatus, process, and the like claims. Finally, any claims set forth at any time are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the invention, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice- versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.

Claims

A method of in situ contaminant remediation comprising the steps of:

degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing an electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of focus said electrical field through a layer of subsurface high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 3 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said high-resistivity media.

A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of providing a constant electrical potential throughout said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

6. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

7. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode above and below said center portion of said bucking electrode.

8. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said guard portion of said bucking electrode in a subsurface low-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

9. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 8 or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface low-resistivity media is selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

10. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 6 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of locating said center portion of said bucking electrode in a high-resistivity media of said contaminated ground site.

11. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

12. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 11 or any other claim herein wherein said step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of insulating at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes with an insulation material selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives.

13. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing said electrical field induced from at least part of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes and through part of a subsurface of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of forcing said supplemental electrons to run perpendicular to said bucking electrode.

14. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of orienting said at least one pair of electrodes in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

15. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of efficiently spacing said at least one pair of bucking electrodes in said contaminated ground site.

16. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 15 or any other claim herein wherein said step of efficiently spacing said at least one pair of bucking electrodes in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of spacing said at least one pair of electrodes at a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter.

17. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of installing at least one pair of bucking electrodes into said contaminated ground site comprises the step of installing at least one pair of electrodes into said contaminated ground site with an installation method selected from a group consisting of drilling, direct pushing, direct driving, and installing in a continuously screened polyvinyl chloride casing.

18. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of bucking electrodes are made of a material selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

19. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a substantially same rate.

20. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 19 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a same rate comprises the step of reversing a polarity of an electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

21. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 20 or any other claim herein wherein said step of reversing said polarity of said electrical potential between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of reversing said polarity between each of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes at a frequency selected from a group consisting of about 4 seconds, about 6 seconds, between about 1 second and about 10 seconds, between about 0.1 seconds and about 6000 seconds; about 2 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 12 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, and about 4 days.

22. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises at least two subsurface layers of different media.

23. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 22 or any other claim herein wherein said at least two subsurface layers of different media comprises a high-resistivity media layer and a low-resistivity media layer.

24. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 23 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of configuring a focused electrical field on at least one part of said bucking electrodes based on a subsurface layer configuration.

25. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 2 or any other claim herein wherein said high-resistivity media comprises a high permeable media.

26. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 8 or any other claim herein wherein said low-resistivity media comprises a low permeable media.

27. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 26 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ; - about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

28. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of preventing diffusion in said contaminated ground site.

29. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least some contaminants comprises the step of providing reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

30. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes comprises the step of generating an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

31. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of generating a low-voltage electrical current in a conductive matrix between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

32. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a power source connected to said at least one pair of bucking electrodes comprises the step of providing a DC power source connected to said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

33. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of nonaqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

34. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants in said contaminated ground site.

35. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 34 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading said contaminants comprises the step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene in said contaminated ground site.

36. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 35 or any other claim herein wherein said step of substantially completely degrading trichloroethylene comprises the step of degrading said trichloroethylene to below drinking water standards.

37. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminated ground site comprises subsurface media selected from a group consisting of saturated media, subsurface soils, sediments, water, groundwater, soil, clay, clay soils, saturated clay, high-resistive soils, sands, gravels, low-resistive soils, silts, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, saturated clay matrix, aqueous media, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

38. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading an amount of contaminants selected from a group consisting of greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, and about 99%.

39. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current comprises a current between about 50 to about 1500 milliamps.

40. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein wherein said power source is selected from a group consisting of solar power photovoltaic panels, low-voltage direct current electricity, electrical utilities, battery, solar power batteries, power grid, battery bank, generator, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

41. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site with at least one additional remediation technology.

42. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 41 or any other claim herein wherein said at least additional remediation technology comprises a permeable reactive barrier.

43. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 1 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of monitoring said contaminated ground site.

44. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground side comprises a step selected from a group consisting of: adding at least one monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one upgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; adding at least one downgradient monitoring well to said contaminated ground site; identifying a reduction of said contaminants; monitoring said low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes; and monitoring said at least one pair of electrodes.

45. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises the step of monitoring operational monitoring parameters selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

46. A method of in situ contaminant remediation according to claim 43 or any other claim herein wherein said step of monitoring said contaminated ground site comprises a step selected from a group of on-site monitoring said contaminated ground site, off- site monitoring said contaminated ground site, on-line monitoring said contaminated ground site, and real time monitoring said contaminated ground site.

47. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants comprising the steps of:

installing at least one electrode into said contaminated ground site;

providing a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

feeding power from said power source through said at least one electrode;

generating a low-voltage electrical current near said at least one electrode;

48. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media is selected from a group consisting of clay, silts, clay soils, and any combination thereof.

49. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises at least two layers of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

50. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media further comprises at least one layer of high-permeable media.

51. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media is selected from a group consisting of sand and gravel.

52. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said high-permeable media comprises a high-resistivity media.

53. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a low-resistivity media.

54. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises the step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media and at least one layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media.

55. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 54 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of providing a subsurface upper layer, a subsurface middle layer, and a subsurface lower layer in said contaminated ground site.

56. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 55 or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface upper layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media; or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface middle layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media; and or any other claim herein wherein said subsurface lower layer comprises a layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

57. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a contaminated ground site having at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media comprises the step of providing a contaminated ground site having alternating subsurface layers of contaminated subsurface high-permeable media and contaminated subsurface low-permeable media.

58. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said low-permeable media comprises a media having a permeability selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

59. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of preventing diffusion in said contaminated ground site.

60. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading said at least some contaminants comprises the step of providing reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

61. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 50 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants in said layer of high-permeable media.

62. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current comprises the step of generating an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m; - about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

63. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of generating a low-voltage electrical current near said at least one electrode comprises the step of generating a low-voltage electrical current in a conductive matrix near said at least one electrode.

64. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of providing a power source connected to said at least one electrode comprises the step of providing a DC power source connected to said at least one electrode.

65. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of enhancing said electochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeability media with in situ constituents in said contaminated subsurface low-permeability media.

66. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 65 or any other claim herein wherein said constituents are selected from a group consisting of iron, magnesium, titanium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

67. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said step of degrading at least some contaminants in said at least one layer of contaminated subsurface low-permeable media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of degrading at least some contaminants without creating intermediate byproducts.

68. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of non-aqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

101. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 91 or any other claim herein wherein said step of focusing said low-voltage electrical current from said at least one pair of bucking electrodes into said high- resistivity media of said contaminated ground site comprises the step of forcing said supplemental electrons to run perpendicular to said bucking electrode.

102. A method of in situ electron-supplemented degradation of contaminants according to claim 47 or any other claim herein and further comprising the step of orienting said at least one electrode in a position relative to contaminated ground site, said position selected from a group consisting of perpendicular within said contaminated ground site, parallel within said contaminated ground site, at an angle within said contaminated ground site, horizontal in said contaminated ground site, and vertical in said contaminated ground site.

providing a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

flowing water into said at least one pumping water well;

providing a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

flowing water into said at least one pumping water well;

feeding power from said power source through said at least one electrode;

generating a low-voltage electrical current near at least one electrode;

providing supplemental electrons from said at least one electrode;

112. An in situ contaminant remediation system comprising:

a contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one pair of said bucking electrodes;

123. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 122 or any other claim herein wherein said insulator is selected from a group consisting of PVC, fiberglass, silicone, rubber, vinyl, Teflon, paint, coatings, tape, and adhesives.

124. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 113 or any other claim herein wherein said focused electrical field is forced to run perpendicular from a center portion of a bucking electrode.

129. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one pair of bucking electrodes are made of a material selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, metals, stainless steel, platinum, carbon, iron particles in socks, graphite, copper, steel, copper-coated steel, piping, rods, solid rods, hollow rods, brush rods, brushes, plates, grids, loops, mesh, lattice, grains, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

130. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a substantially same rate of degradation of said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

- less than about 10^"4 cm²; 8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm².

139. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a diffusion prevention of said contaminants.

140. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants comprises chlorinated solvents; and or any other claim herein wherein said degradation of said at least some contaminants comprises reductive dechlorination of said chlorinated solvents in said contaminated ground site.

141. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said low-voltage electrical current between said at least one pair of electrodes comprises an electric potential selected from a group consisting of:

- less than about 35 V/m;

- less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

142. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein and further comprising a conductive matrix between said at least one pair of bucking electrodes.

143. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said power source comprises a DC power source.

144. An in situ contaminant remediation system according to claim 112 or any other claim herein wherein said contaminants are selected from a group consisting of nonaqueous phase liquids ("NAPL"), dense NAPLs ("DNAPL"), chlorinated contaminants, trichloroethylene ("TCE"), dichloroethene ("DCE"), vinyl chloride ("VC"), halogenated solvents, nitrate, sulfate, metals, metals with high valent state, hexavalent chromium, uranium, arsenate, selenium, ferric iron, organic, inorganic compounds, chlorinated ethenes, bromated compounds, nitrite, cyanide, selenium, and all permutations and combinations of each of the above.

at least one electrode located in said contaminated ground site;

a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

- less than about 10^"4 cm²;

8 2

- less than about 10^" cm ;

- about 6.6xl0^"12 cm²;

- less than about 6.6xl0^"12 cm² ; and

- between about 10^"9 cm² and about 10^"15 cm²

- less than about 35 V/m; - less than about 12 V/m;

- between about 0.5 V/m and about 50 V/m;

- between about 5 V/m and about 25 V/m;

- about 6 V/m;

- about 9 V/m;

- about 12 V/m;

- less than about 9 V/m;

- less than about 6 V/m; and

- about 1.5 V/m.

195. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 194 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises at least one monitoring well; at least one upgradient monitoring well; at least one downgradient monitoring well; a contaminant reduction identifier; a voltage monitor; and an electrode monitor.

196. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 194 or any other claim herein wherein said performance monitor comprises an operational parameter monitor, said operational parameter monitor selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, matrix resistance, resistance, amperage, matrix pH, and temperature.

204. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 200 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrodes comprise a constant electrical potential throughout each of said bucking electrodes.

205. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 200 or any other claim herein wherein said bucking electrode comprises a guard portion of said bucking electrode and a center portion of said bucking electrode.

213. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 158 or any other claim herein wherein said at least one electrode comprises at least one pair of electrodes efficiently spaced apart from each other.

214. An in situ electron-supplemented contaminant degradation system according to claim 213 or any other claim herein wherein said efficiently spaced electrodes are spaced at a distance a distance selected from a group consisting of about 1 meter, about 1.5 meters, about 2 meters, about 2.5 meters, about 3 meters, about 3.5 meters, about 4 meters, about 4.5 meters, about 5 meters, about 5.5 meters, about 6 meters, about 6.5 meters, about 7 meters, about 7.5 meters, about 8 meters, about 8.5 meters, about 9 meters, about 9.5 meters, about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 10 meters, between about 1 meter to about 20 meters, and greater than about 1 meter.

a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

a power source connected to said at least one grounded electrode;

substantially remediated clean water in said at least one pumping water well.

a contaminated ground site having at least one pumping water well;

a power source connected to said at least one electrode;

a low-voltage electrical current from said at least one electrode to generate electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode; a degradation of at least some contaminants in said contaminated ground site based on said electrochemically induced oxidation-reduction reactions near said at least one electrode; and

substantially remediated clean water in said at least one pumping water well.