Archive for Dezember, 2009

Soil decontamination with hot steam

Dienstag, Dezember 22nd, 2009

Decontaminating and disinfecting soil with hot steam has been applied for more than 100 years and is well proven. The Swiss Friedrich Miescher Institute in Basel has made use of this method.

The institute will decontaminate the soil of several green houses completely without chemicals. The goal is to free soil from sproutable plant parts such as seeds and roots as well as restore the original condition of the soil before cultivation without residues of chemical products. Hence steaming was the first choice.

A contractor is responsible for steaming. First soil is loosened down to 20 cm depth, after that the area is gradually covered with steaming sheets which get weighted. Steam generated with a low pressure steam boiler, is induced via a steam injector underneath the sheets.

After 2-4 hours of steaming the desired results are achieved: The soil is completely sanitized and without weeds and diseases.