Environmental remediation method and system
AssigneeThinkVillage-Kerfoot, LLC
InventorWilliam B. Kerfoot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Remediation for groundwater, soil, sediment bodies, bodies of water, tanks, pipes, and their surrounding areas are described. Remediation includes treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds by assessing for the presence or absence of suitable ozonphilic bacteria at the site and introducing ozone to the site. The ozonphilic bacteria are introduced to the site if the ozonphilic bacteria are not present or not present in sufficient quantities in the site. Ozone is introduced to the site in an amount sufficient to stimulate growth of the suitable ozonphilic bacteria. Other oxidants can also be used.
Claims46
A method comprising
- treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds by:
- assessing for the presence or absence of suitable ozonphilic bacteria at the site;
- and
- introducing ozone to the site.
A method comprising
- treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds,with treating comprising:
- assessing the presence of bacteria from the genera:
- Microbacterium, Gordonia (2), Hydrogenophaga, Nocardia, Rodococcus, Spingomonas, Xanthobacteria, Algallgenes (2), Mycobacteria, Rubrivivax, Arthrobacter, Acidovorax, Burkholderia, Variovarax, or Pseudomonas;
- and
- introducing ozone to the site.
A method of treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds comprising:
- identifying the amount of bacteria present at the site;
- introducing additional bacteria to the site;
- and
- introducing ozone to the site.
A method of treating a site contaminated with petroleum compounds comprising:
- identifying the amount of bacteria present at the site;
- and
- introducing ozone to the site in an amount insufficient to kill bacteria beyond about one meter of the location of ozone introduction to the site.
A method of treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds comprising:
- obtaining a sample of the site soil, sand or water;
- assessing the level of and type of bacteria present in the sample;
- introducing bacteria, if insufficient levels of ozonphilic bacteria are present, to the site or ozonphilic bacteria is not present in the site;
- and
- introducing ozone to the site.
A system comprises:
- a mechanism to deliver ozone into ground water in a soil formation;
- and
- a mechanism to deliver ozonophillic bacteria in the soil formation adjacent to a delivery point of the ozone, to remove contaminants present in the soil formation and/or groundwater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.