MgO-mediated activation of active carbon as an affordable strategy to "in situ" degradation of lindane in contaminated soils.

The accumulation in soil landfills of toxic and persistent lindane, widely used as an insecticide, triggers the risk of leaching with the concomitant contamination of surrounding rivers. Thus, viable remediation to eliminate in situ high concentrations of lindane in soil and water becomes an urgent demand. In this line, a simple and cost-effective composite is proposed, including the use of industrial wastes.