Method and device for decontaminating waters which are loaded with organic halogen compounds (halogenated hydrocarbons)

A device for decontaminating water polluted with HHC, by a process comprising pre-treating the HCC contaminated water, transferring the HHC from the aqueous phase to the gaseous phase at ambient temperature, and dehalogenating the gaseous phase HHC using catalytic reductive dehalogenation at a temperature between 50 degrees Celsius and 400 degrees Celsius, wherein said device comprises:

• at least one pre-treatment chamber comprised of a cascade of from 2 to 10 containers connected in series and having suitable means for metering liquid chemicals at the inlet thereof,
• a stripping apparatus downstream of said pre-treatment chamber,
• a vacuum pump downstream of said stripping apparatus,
• a dehalogenation reactor including heater and catalyst downstream of said vacuum pump,
• a hydrogen halide scrubber downstream of said dehalogenation reactor,
• a contaminated water feed line for introducing contaminated water into said at least one pre-treatment chamber,
• a stripping gas feed line for feeding stripping gas to said stripping apparatus, and
• separate effluent lines in communication with said hydrogen halide scrubber for purified stripping gas and decontaminated water.