Systems and methods for treating contaminated solid material

A method for treating a solid material contaminated with one or more contaminants, comprising:

• a. feeding the solid material to a chamber in communication with a vacuum pump connected to the chamber by an exhaust line;
• b. applying, using a laser, nonconductive and nonconvective heating to a surface of the solid material in the chamber to raise the temperature of the surface of the solid material to at least a volatilization temperature or a decomposition temperature of the one or more contaminants or to a decomposition temperature of one or more compounds in intimate contact with the one or more contaminants without significant heating of air within the chamber such that any heating of the air that may occur will only occur at the surface of the material that is being treated, thereby releasing the one or more contaminants to a gas phase and reducing a concentration of the one or more contaminants in the solid material;
• c. removing an exhaust comprising a gas from the chamber using the exhaust line connected to the chamber;
• d. cooling the exhaust removed from the chamber in a condenser connected to the exhaust line;
• and
• e. collecting solids and/or liquids in a solids and/or liquids collector connected to the condenser by a first conduit for removing condensed solids and/or liquids containing the one or more contaminants and/or decomposition products of decomposed compounds, the solids and/or liquids collector having a gas outlet wherein the vacuum pump is connected to the gas outlet by a second conduit.