Universal method and apparatus for conversion of volatile compounds

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting a contaminated off-gas containing the at least one contaminant with a contacting liquid to remove at least a substantial portion of the at least one contaminant from the contaminated off-gas generating a treated off-gas and the contaminated fluid;
• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment;
• and
• cooling the contaminated off-gas prior to contacting with the contacting liquid to at least partially condense a portion of the at least one contaminant to facilitate removal thereof by the contacting liquid.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising;

• contacting a contaminated off-gas containing the at least one contaminant with a contacting liquid to remove at least a substantial portion of the at least one contaminant from the contaminated off-gas generating a treated off-gas and the contaminated fluid;
• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to a least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment;
• and
• cooling the contaminated off-gas by contacting with the contacting liquid that is cooler than the contaminated off-gas to at least partially condense a portion of the at least one contaminant to facilitate removal thereof by the contacting liquid.

A method of treating a contaminated off-gas having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting the contaminated off-gas with a contacting liquid and an agent having ozone;
• partially oxidizing a portion of the at least one contaminant with the ozone to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having increased water solubility, thereby increasing the contaminant carrying capacity of the contacting liquid;
• and
• generating a treated fluid baying a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment,
• wherein the at least one corresponding modified contaminant has a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting a contaminated off-gas containing the at least one contaminant with a contacting liquid to remove at lean a substantial portion of the at least one contaminant from the contaminated off-gas generating a treated off-gas and the contaminated fluid;
• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment, wherein the treated fluid is a treated liquid;
• and
• filtering the treated liquid to generate a filtered liquid and collected materials.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• stripping volatile contaminants from a contaminated liquid stream by contacting the contaminated liquid stream with a stripping stream to generate a treated liquid stream and a contaminated off-gas;
• contacting the contaminated off-gas containing the at least one contaminant with a contacting liquid to remove at least a substantial portion of the at least one contaminant from the contaminated off-gas generating a treated off-gas and the contaminated fluid;
• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• and
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment;
• filtering the treated fluid to generate a filtered fluid and collected materials;
• and
• feeding the filtered fluid to a bioreactor for bioconversion.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminants non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• and
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment,
• wherein the contaminated fluid is water that contains paint which also contains a floating contaminant and the method further comprising removing the floating contaminant prior to contact with the agent to generate a skimmed water stream and skimmed contaminant.

A method of treating a contaminated fluid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• and
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment,
• wherein the contaminated fluid is water that contains paint and
• wherein the agent has the additional property of detackifying tacky components in paint and the agent is added in an effective amount to also detackify such tacky components.

In a main process that utilizes a contacting gas and generates at least one main off-gas containing at least one contaminant, a treating process comprising:

• contacting a contaminated off-gas containing the at least one contaminant with a contacting liquid to remove at least a substantial portion of the at least one contaminant from the contaminated off-gas generating a treated off-gas and a contaminated fluid;
• contacting the contaminated fluid with an effective amount of an agent selected from oxidizing agents, free radical producing agents and a combination thereof for an effective amount of time to convert a substantial amount of the at least one contaminant to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being non-volatile, less volatile than the contaminant, non-hazardous, less hazardous than the contaminant, non-tacky and a combination thereof;
• and
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for release, reuse or further treatment,
• wherein the at least one main off-gas is the contaminated off-gas,
• wherein the at least one contaminant has a property selected from the group consisting or being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, and
• wherein at least a portion of the treated off-gas is recycled to the contacting gas.

A method of treating a contaminated liquid having at least one contaminant having a property selected from the group consisting of being volatile, hazardous, tacky and a combination thereof, the method comprising:

• contacting the contaminated liquid with an effective amount of an agent having ozone;
• partially oxidizing a portion of the at least one contaminant with the ozone to at least one corresponding modified contaminant having increased water salability, thereby increasing the contaminant carrying capacity of the contaminated liquid;
• generating a treated fluid having a level of the at least one contaminant and of the at least one corresponding modified contaminant to allow the treated fluid to at least meet requirements for reuse as a metal finishing phosphating bath liquid,
• wherein the contaminated fluid liquid is a contaminated metal finishing phosphating bath liquid,
• wherein the ozone is added in an effective amount to also act as a phosphate-coating accelerator, a secondary phosphate-coating accelerator compound producer, phosphate-coating accelerator compound regenerator or combination thereof therein or as the phosphate coating accelerator, and
• wherein the at least one corresponding modified contaminant having increased water solubility increases the contaminant carrying capacity of the treated fluid.