Contaminated sites
Gain planning security
Determine pollutant situation
Are you planning a construction project or the acquisition of a property? Polluted sites present special challenges. First of all, the pollutant situation must be precisely determined.
Building owners are obliged to separate and dispose of contaminated material in accordance with regulations. We assess the environmental hazard and evaluate suitable measures with you.
With our comprehensive contaminated site consulting services, we contribute technical expertise, knowledge of public law procedures and legal aspects. Ecosens is a member of the specialist group of contaminated site consultants of arv Building Materials Recycling Switzerland.
Our services
Our environmental professionals can assist you with the following services:
- Consulting and clarifications in connection with entries in the "Cadastre of polluted sites".
- Support for questions regarding loads in the subsurface
- Historical and technical investigation of real estate
- Planning and execution of preliminary and detailed investigations (sampling) in cooperation with specialized drilling companies and laboratories
- Preparation of hazard assessments and evaluation of the urgency of remediation measures
- Cost estimates as a result of charges
- Creation of remediation concepts, planning and implementation of remediation in soil and groundwater
- Site management contaminated sites
- Legal advice on complex liability issues and contract drafting
- Clarification of cost sharing between private and public sector (cost sharing order)
- Communication and mediation between stakeholders (owners, authorities, lenders)
From the investigation to remediation to the success control
With a carefully executed historical and technical investigation, areas with contaminant loads are identified and classified in terms of waste and contaminated sites.
Contact person
Melanie Tschopp-Vögtli
Head of Department Contaminated Sites and Geology
Julia Hunziker
Deputy Head of the Contaminated Sites and Geology Department
Our references
PFAS fire training area Riedikon
Preliminary investigation of contaminated sites
Groundwater remediation industrial site, Seebach
PFAS fire training area Riedikon
In 2022, the cantonal authorities requested that the owner of a site in Uster, which is used among other things as a fire training area, carry out PFAS investigations. Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, abbreviated to PFAS, are a new group of pollutants to be considered in Switzerland when dealing with contaminated sites. The first stages of the legal investigation of the contaminated site revealed elevated PFAS concentrations. The contamination affects the soil, groundwater and surface water in some places. As the phased replacement construction of the two fire houses was planned at the site at the same time, waste law investigations (including the building fabric) were also carried out in parallel with the investigations under contaminated sites legislation. Ecosens AG supported the client in the approval process, in the tendering of contractors and carried out the specialist construction management of contaminated sites. Due to the partial lack of a legal basis for PFAS, close contact with the authorities and good communication were the key to success. more >>
Preliminary investigation of contaminated sites
In the agricultural area of a Zurich municipality, there are two large, old landfills where municipal waste and building rubble used to be deposited. Both landfills were entered in the register of contaminated sites as requiring investigation and the municipality was requested by the Office for Waste, Water, Energy and Air (AWEL) to carry out a preliminary investigation of the two sites. Ecosens AG then carried out a historical investigation of both sites and drew up a specification for the technical investigation for the relevant soil and groundwater protection goods. Once the specifications had been approved, a total of four groundwater measuring points were set up and numerous groundwater and soil samples were taken and analyzed. The investigations showed that the contaminated sites do not pose a risk to the environment, meaning that the classification under contaminated sites legislation could be adjusted. more >>
Groundwater remediation industrial site, Seebach
In the subsoil of this industrial site there is damage with highly chlorinated hydrocarbons (tetrachloroethene). The contaminants extend into the groundwater-saturated zone (8-17 m a.s.l.). Due to the deep location of the contamination, the implementation of an in-situ remediation variant was in the foreground.
Considering the site characteristics, anaerobic dechlorination was chosen. A cosubstrate (in this case molasses) was injected as a carbon source via injection wells. This enabled anaerobic dechlorination of the tetrachloroethene.
The measure was continuously monitored by groundwater sampling. The groundwater-saturated area was successfully remediated. The unsaturated subsoil between 0-8 m a.s.l. will be remediated by excavation as part of a construction project.
Ecosens AG developed the remediation project and carried out a pilot test following the preliminary and detailed investigation required by the law on contaminated sites. During the remediation phase, Ecosens AG coordinated all third-party services (remediation company, drilling company, laboratory, etc.) and is responsible for the evaluation of the data, ongoing adjustments to the remediation process and the presentation of the data to the client and the authorities (AWEL). more >>
