Chemical oxidation and biological attenuation process for the treatment of contaminated media
AssigneeInnovative Environmental Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMichael Scalzi, Antonis Karachalios
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Abstract
A method for the removal of semi-volatile organic compounds in soils, sludges, groundwater, process water, and wastewater is presented. Oxidation and biological attenuation processes utilize peroxide, persulfates, percarbonates, and/or other oxidants with trivalent metals, such as ferric iron (Fe3+) or manganic ion (Mn3+) as activators. The resulting chemical oxidation process yields degradation compounds which facilitate further attenuation via biological processes.
Claims20
A method for chemically oxidizing and biologically attenuating volatile organic compounds in an environmental medium, the method comprising:
- introducing persulfate into the environmental medium;
- and
- introducing at least one non-chelated trivalent metal into the environmental medium, wherein the at least one non-chelated trivalent metal activates the persulfate in order to chemically oxidize the volatile organic compounds, wherein amount of the persulfate is selected to chemically oxidize the volatile organic compounds and amount of the at least one non-chelated trivalent metal is between approximately 17-30% of molecular weight of the persulfate so that at conclusion of the chemical oxidation sufficient residual sulfate and sufficient residual trivalent metal remains such that:
- naturally occurring facultative cultures utilize the residual sulfate and the residual trivalent metal as terminal electron acceptors to promote biological attenuation of the one or more contaminants;
- and
- the residual sulfate and the residual trivalent metal prevent formation and accumulation of hydrogen sulfide which is a toxin to the facultative cultures.
A method for chemically oxidizing and biologically attenuating volatile organic compounds in an environmental medium, the method comprising:
- introducing one or more non-chelated divalent or zero valent metals into the environmental medium;
- introducing peroxide into the environmental medium to cause formation of one or more non-chelated trivalent metals;
- and
- introducing persulfate into the environmental medium, wherein the at least one non-chelated trivalent metal activates the persulfate in order to chemically oxidize the volatile organic compounds, wherein amount of the persulfate is selected to chemically oxidize the volatile organic compounds and amount of the at least one non-chelated trivalent metal is between approximately 17-30% of molecular weight of the persulfate so that at conclusion of the chemical oxidation sufficient residual sulfate and sufficient residual trivalent metal remains such that:
- naturally occurring facultative cultures utilize the residual sulfate and the residual trivalent metal as terminal electron acceptors to promote biological attenuation of the one or more contaminants;
- and
- the residual sulfate and the residual trivalent metal prevent formation and accumulation of hydrogen sulfide which is a toxin to the facultative cultures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.