System to reduce sediment toxicity
AssigneeHer Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of the Environment
InventorThomas Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the treatment of sediment. The apparatus provides a plurality of injection sites for injecting a biochemical oxidant into the sediment. The oxidant is useful for oxidizing a bacterial growth inhibitor to a non-inhibiting form thus permitting bacterial growth and thus greater numbers for sediment detoxification.
Claims22
A method of effecting natural microbial biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons in sediment containing microbes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons and microbial toxin inhibiting biodegradation, comprising the steps of:
- providing a biochemical oxidant selected from the group comprising ferric chloride and calcium nitrate for detoxifying a microbial toxin produced during microbial biodegradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons without inactivating the microbes;
- contacting said sediment with said oxidant to detoxify said toxin;
- and
- effecting enhanced microbial biodegradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons.
A method of effecting natural microbial biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons in sediment containing microbes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons and microbial toxin inhibiting biodegradation, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing a biochemical oxidant selected from the group comprising ferric chloride and calcium nitrate for detoxifying a microbial toxin produced during microbial biodegradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons without inactivating the microbes;
- providing a nutrifying organic amendment for nutrifying microbes;
- injecting said sediment with said amendment and oxidant to detoxify said toxin with minimal disruption of said sediment while nutrifying said microbes;
- and
- effecting enhanced microbial biodegradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons.
A method of effecting compaction of sediment containing microbes, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons and microbial toxin inhibiting biodegradation, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing a biochemical oxidant selected from the group comprising ferric chloride and calcium nitrate for detoxifying a microbial toxin produced during microbial degradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons without inactivating the microbes;
- providing a fermentation by-product organic amendment;
- injecting said sediment with said oxidant and said by-product organic amendment with minimal disruption of said sediment;
- effecting enhanced microbial degradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons;
- and
- compacting said sediment by evolution of gaseous by-products evolved from contact of said oxidant and amendment with said sediment.
A method of effecting natural microbial biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons in sediment containing microbes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons and microbial toxin inhibiting biodegradation, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing a biochemical oxidant selected from the group comprising ferric chloride and calcium nitrate for detoxifying a microbial toxin produced during microbial biodegradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon and petroleum hydrocarbons without inactivating the microbes;
- providing a fermentation byproduct organic amendment;
- injecting within said sediment at, at least, one level with said oxidant and said organic amendment;
- and
- effecting enhanced microbial degradation of said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.