Procedure for removing hydrophobic organic pollutants from contaminated soils using a vegetable oil

Procedure for removing hydrophobic organic pollutants from contaminated soils using a vegetable oil. The contaminated soil is excavated and subjected to a pretreatment to homogenize the particle size before carrying out the extraction of the contaminants by a vegetable oil. After the extraction stage, the soil and vegetable oil are separated by centrifugation and the oil, with a high concentration of hydrophobic organic pollutants, is introduced into a biphasic enzymatic reactor, in which an aqueous phase containing the enzyme is added, of the type oxidase or peroxidase and the cofactors necessary to complete the catalytic cycle of the enzyme used. In this biphasic reactor the elimination of the contaminants present in the oil is produced by enzymatic oxidation. At the end of the treatment, the separation of the aqueous phase and the vegetable oil is carried out. Vegetable oil free of hydrophobic organic pollutants is used to carry out a new extraction of contaminated soil. The aqueous phase is returned to the reactor to be reused in an enzymatic oxidation process to regenerate a new batch of contaminated vegetable oil. The treated soil is returned to its original location in accordance with the best available techniques.