Hydrocarbons such as petroleum and natural gas provide energy for the world and offer many benefits, but can be harmful if not properly contained. If a gas leak or oil spill occurs in an urban setting, buildings and pavement can make it hard to clean up the contaminated soil underneath.
To make it easier to rehabilitate contaminated sites without excavating them, a research partnership among the University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology and Federated Co-op Limited is developing a new subsurface remediation technology. This technology uses organic materials such as fungi to achieve optimal results without excavation.
Ultimately, natural resource companies will apply this technology to clean up hydrocarbon contamination in our cities while leaving infrastructure undisturbed.