Experiments are conducted on kaolin contaminated with a lixiviant obtained from a sodium dichromate plant residue to demonstrate the efficacy of electrochemical cleaning. After 120 h, only 36% chromium is removed from the soil. Chromium removal is high in the first 20 h, after which it falls drastically. Acid-base neutralization near the cathode appears to be the rate controlling mechanism. Unremediated chromium in kaolin are either present as Cr(VI) in the pore fluid or as strongly adsorbed species because of acidic conditions in kaolin. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.