Method and system for in-situ remediation using surfactant-free oil-in water emulsion
AssigneeTersus Environmental LLC
InventorsGary M. Birk, David F. Alden, Lucas Collin Condes, Michael Taylor Warren, Jeffrey Harry Harwell
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Abstract
A method and a system for in-situ remediation of recalcitrant organic and inorganic contaminants in an environmental medium are disclosed. Dissolved gases from water and an oil are removed to form degassed water and a degassed oil. The degassed water and the degassed oil are mixed to form a surfactant-free oil-in water emulsion. The surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion is injected into the environmental medium, thereby producing anaerobic conditions to cause indigenous anerobic bacteria to biodegrade residual concentrations of the contaminants in the environmental medium.
Claims19
A method for in-situ remediation of recalcitrant organic and inorganic contaminants in an environmental medium, the method consisting of:
- adjusting pH of water to about 11 by adding a buffer to obtain modified water;
- removing dissolved gases from the modified water to form degassed water;
- removing dissolved gases from an oil to form a degassed oil, wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, corn oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, crambe oil, and mixtures thereof;
- mixing the degassed water and the degassed oil to form a surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion, wherein the modified water is characterized to screen double-layer repulsions and reduce electrostatic barrier to droplet coagulation in the surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion;
- and
- injecting the surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion into the environmental medium, thereby producing anaerobic conditions to cause indigenous anaerobic bacteria to biodegrade recalcitrant organic and inorganic contaminants in the environmental medium.
A system for in-situ remediation of recalcitrant organic and inorganic contaminants in an environmental medium, the system comprising:
- a membrane contactor configured for removing dissolved gases from modified water to form degassed water, wherein the modified water has a pH of 11;
- a vacuum chamber configured for removing dissolved gases from an oil to form a degassed oil, wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, corn oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, crambe oil, and mixtures thereof;
- a mixing unit configured to mix the degassed water and the degassed oil to form a surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion;
- and
- an injection manifold for injecting the surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion into the environmental medium for in-situ remediation of the recalcitrant organic and inorganic contaminants in the environmental medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.