A method of decontaminating soil and ground water containing organic
contaminants and divalent metal compounds. It comprises the steps of first
treating such soils and ground water with an effective amount an aqueous
solution containing a peroxide and a water soluble chelating agent for a
time sufficient to have the water soluble chelating agent chelate at least
one of the divalent metals of the divalent metal compounds present in the
soil and ground water. Next, the chelated metals are brought into contact
with the peroxide to catalytically convert the peroxide to an oxidizing
agent. Finally, the last step is contacting the organic contaminants in
the soil and ground water with the oxidizing agent to oxidize the organic
contaminants to environmentally safe, non-toxic compounds.
