# US 10,369,604 B2 · In-situ subsurface decontamination of sodic soil, clay and ground water > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,604 B2 - Document ID: US10369604B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/042,653 - Filed: 2018-07-23 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-11 - Applicants: William L. Lundy - Inventors: William L. Lundy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369604B2 ## CPC - B09C 1/08: chemically - B09C 1/002: {involving in-situ ground water treatment} - C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58) - C02F 1/683: {by addition of complex-forming compounds} - C02F 1/70: by reduction {(C02F1/4676 takes precedence)} - C02F 1/722: {Oxidation by peroxides} - C02F 1/725: {by catalytic oxidation} - C02F 9/00: Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage - B09C 2101/00: In situ - C02F 2101/36: containing halogen - C02F 2103/06: Contaminated groundwater or leachate - C02F 2305/023: Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical - C02F 2305/026: Fenton's reagent - B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) ## Abstract A method of decontaminating soil and ground water containing organic contaminants and 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 metals of the 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 and hydroxyl ion. The hydroxyl ion converts the halogenated organic compound into environmentally safe, non-toxic compounds. Gases that are produced from this reaction, and from the oxidation of organic compounds, are used to diffuse solution into the soil to chelate calcium and magnesium, thereby causing the sodium to be dislodged from the soil and reduce sodicity in the soil. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of decontaminating soil and/or ground water containing halogenated organic contaminants and a metal compound, the method comprising: (a) treating the soil and/or ground water with an effective amount of an alkaline aqueous solution having a pH of 7 to 10 and comprising an alkaline buffering agent, a peroxide, and a chelating agent, for a time sufficient to have the chelating agent chelate the metal of the metal compound present in the soil and/or ground water; (b) reacting the chelated metal with the peroxide to catalytically convert the peroxide to oxidizing agents and reducing agents, the reducing agent comprising hydroxide ions, and the oxidizing agents comprising hydroxyl radials; (c) contacting the halogenated organic contaminants in the soil and/or ground water with the hydroxide ions to convert and reduce the halogenated organic contaminants through reduction reaction to environmentally safe, non-toxic compounds, wherein the reduction reaction is nucleophilic substitution; and (d) penetrating the soil and/or ground water with carbon dioxide to diffuse the alkaline aqueous solution into the soil and/or ground water and generate additional reaction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of peroxide is about 0.6 to about 4.5 Moles/Liter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of chelating agents is about 0.03 to about 1.5 Moles/Liter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the buffering agent comprises di-ammonium and the concentration of di-ammonium phosphate is about 0.5 to about 2.0 lbs/gallon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the soil and/or ground water rises no more than 10.0 degrees F. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein treating the soil and/or ground water with the effective amount of the alkaline aqueous solution comprises: spraying or injecting the alkaline aqueous solution over or into the soil and/or ground water to be treated, and injecting the solution into areas exhibiting higher concentrations of contaminants. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the alkaline aqueous solution is sprayed onto a floor and walls of an excavated area, in the amount of 0.25-2.0 gal/sq. ft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the alkaline aqueous solution is injected at a rate of 3-10 gallons per minute. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein treating the soil and/or ground water with the effective amount of the alkaline aqueous solution comprises injecting the alkaline aqueous solution into the soil and/or ground water at a rate of 3-10 gallons per minute. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein treating the soil and/or ground water with the effective amount of the alkaline aqueous solution comprises: spraying or injecting the alkaline aqueous solution over or into the surface to be treated; determining areas not yet reached by the reagent; and spraying or injecting the solution into the areas not yet reached by the reagent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the areas not yet reached by the reagent comprises: observing the evolution of gases at the surface; and identifying the areas not yet reached by the reagent as those areas known to be contaminated but did not evolve gases at the surface.