Machine learning and solar energy drive sustainable soil decontamination

Soil contamination remains a global challenge, threatening ecosystems, agriculture, and human health. Conventional remediation strategies, while effective, are often energy-intensive and carbon-heavy, limiting their long-term sustainability. Researchers have introduced a photovoltaic thermo-electro dual module system (PTEDMS) that integrates solar energy, electrical resistance heating (ERH), electrokinetic transport, and thermal storage into a single platform. This system maintains continuous operation by optimizing solar energy allocation with machine learning, ensuring effective removal of organic pollutants even under fluctuating sunlight conditions. PTEDMS not only accelerates degradation processes but also eliminates the carbon footprint of heating, offering a sustainable, scalable solution for future soil decontamination efforts.

Organic pollutants in soils have become a pressing environmental concern, with impacts on biodiversity, food security, and groundwater safety. Thermal desorption and in-situ chemical oxidation have achieved strong results but require significant energy, with consumption levels reaching up to 1500 MJ per ton. Electrokinetic processes have improved mass transport in micro- and nanopores, yet efficiency remains constrained. Meanwhile, advances in photovoltaic (PV) technology have created opportunities to replace fossil-based power with renewable energy. Integrating PV with hybrid remediation strategies offers a pathway to reduce carbon emissions while enhancing contaminant removal. Based on these challenges, there is a need to conduct in-depth research on solar-driven integrated thermo-electro modules for sustainable soil remediation.

A research team from the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with China Jiliang University, has reported a significant advance in soil pollution control. Their study, published (DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100173) on July 23, 2025, in Eco-Environment & Health, presents a PTEDMS. This integrated platform combines solar energy, thermal storage, and electrokinetic transport to achieve efficient, carbon-free soil remediation. The findings demonstrate how renewable energy and machine learning can jointly transform decontamination practices and support climate-friendly environmental restoration.

The PTEDMS system builds on the strengths of electrical resistance heating (ERH), electrokinetic transport, and solar-thermal energy storage. ERH elevates subsurface temperatures through controlled Joule heating, volatilizing and degrading organic contaminants. Coupling this with electrokinetic transport improves contaminant mobility and stimulates microbial degradation, achieving up to 46% higher removal efficiency while cutting energy use by 20%. Unlike battery-dependent systems, PTEDMS employs hot water storage, enabling energy exchange efficiency above 85% and continuous operation under variable sunlight. Pump-driven dynamic water cycling ensures power supply even during cloudy periods. Machine learning algorithms further enhance performance by allocating PV energy between thermal and electrical processes in real time. This smart coordination resolves solar intermittency, optimizes pollutant breakdown pathways, and ensures site-specific adaptability. Together, these features establish PTEDMS as a zero-carbon paradigm for soil remediation, balancing renewable energy integration, efficiency, and ecological safety.

“PTEDMS is a game-changer for soil remediation,” said Dr. Wentao Jiao, corresponding author of the study. “By integrating solar power with advanced electrothermal and electrokinetic technologies, we can tackle persistent organic pollutants without the environmental cost of fossil-based energy. The system’s reliance on machine learning ensures PV power is allocated intelligently, enabling continuous operation and precise adaptation to field conditions. This innovation addresses one of the most difficult environmental challenges while supporting global carbon neutrality goals and sustainable soil management strategies.”

The adoption of PTEDMS could reshape soil and groundwater remediation at industrial and municipal levels. Its carbon-free design directly supports international climate commitments and provides cost-effective solutions for long-term site rehabilitation. With reliance on solar energy, the system is particularly well-suited for regions with abundant sunlight and limited energy infrastructure. Beyond soil remediation, the dual module framework may also be applied to wastewater treatment, contaminated farmland restoration, and broader eco-engineering projects. By integrating renewable energy with digital intelligence, PTEDMS offers a scalable, replicable model for sustainable environmental technologies worldwide.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100173

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100173

Funding Information

The authors would like to thank the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42277011 and 42477015), and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDB0750400).

About Eco-Environment & Health (EEH)

Eco-Environment & Health (EEH) is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal designed for publications on the frontiers of the ecology, environment and health as well as their related disciplines. EEH focuses on the concept of "One Health" to promote green and sustainable development, dealing with the interactions among ecology, environment and health, and the underlying mechanisms and interventions. Our mission is to be one of the most important flagship journals in the field of environmental health.