The increasing presence of contaminants in water streams is an emerging concern with regards to detection, cost-effective treatments, and analytical methods of addressing the resulting pollution, especially for emerging contaminants. The application of reverse osmosis (RO) is one method used to improve water quality, but few researchers have investigated the specific contaminants found in water, including emerging contaminants generated from the RO process. The present study focused on this issue to investigate a potential method for treating RO concentrates. The method involves a composition system with both chemical and physical treatment effects; this system consists of radical generators and adsorbents in soil. Contaminants from RO concentrates were effectively removed through the combined physical and chemical processes. The proposed composition system has several benefits, including a relatively low cost, no separate equipment, and simplicity of use. This new system may offer a wide range of applications for environmental remediation. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.