摘要:
The concentrations of residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material in a slurry produced in a particulate material washing process are monitored on-line and can be used to control the washing process. In alternative embodiments of the invention, x-rays, thermal neutrons or laser beams are directed at the slurry as it flows through a flow cell to induce emission of secondary x-rays, gamma rays or light, respectively, characteristic of the heavy metal contaminants and constituents representative of the solids contents of the slurry. These characteristic energies are measured and used to determine the concentration in ppm of the residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material within the slurry.
摘要:
The concentrations of residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material in a slurry produced in a particulate material washing process are monitored on-line and can be used to control the washing process. In alternative embodiments of the invention, x-rays, thermal neutrons or laser beams are directed at the slurry as it flows through a flow cell to induce emission of secondary x-rays, gamma rays or light, respectively, characteristic of the heavy metal contaminants and constituents representative of the solids contents of the slurry. These characteristic energies are measured and used to determine the concentration in ppm of the residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material within the slurry.
摘要:
A system for determining depth profiles of concentrations of hazardous elements in soils comprises a neutron source for generating neutrons of a first energy level and irradiating a volume of soil with the neutrons. Nuclear reactions are effected within the soil and gamma radiation is emitted from the soil. The system also includes an array of gamma detectors for detecting gamma radiation emitted from the soil; source electronics for controlling the width of regularly repeated pulses of neutrons generated by the neutron source; detector electronics associated with the gamma detectors for amplifying and digitalizing signals generated by the gamma detectors and storing data representing the digitalized signals; spectral analysis software for analyzing the data and determining the concentrations of selected target elements in the soil; and an acquisition interface module (AIM). The AIM controls the timing of the source and detector electronics such that the neutron source generates neutrons in regularly repeated bursts of a prescribed pulse width and the detectors and detector electronics detect gamma rays during a plurality of time intervals associated with the burst and acquire groups of data. Each group is indicative of a number of gamma rays emitted and their energy levels during a corresponding time interval. The system also includes a mobile platform carrying the neutron source, array of gamma ray detectors and software for determining a depth profile of a target element. Trace elements can also be detected with the disclosed system.
摘要:
Particulate material such as for example soil contaminated with heavy metals, radioactive species and organics, singly or in combination, is treated by first washing the contaminated material with a contaminant mobilizing solution comprising a leaching agent, a surfactant or a mixture thereof. Large particles, typically greater than 5 mm are mechanically separated, washed with water and returned to the site as recovered soil. Fines, along with contaminants dissolved or dispersed in the contaminant mobilizing solution are separated from intermediate sized particles by a countercurrent flow of the contaminant mobilizing solution, preferably in a mineral jig. The intermediate sized particles are then abraded in an attrition scrubber to dislodge attached mineral slimes or fines. These additional fines are separated from the intermediate sized particles with a countercurrent flow of wash water in a second mineral jig. For some applications, the intermediate sized particles can also be abraded in an attrition scrubber prior to size separation in the first mineral jig. The slurry of intermediate sized particles and wash water discharged from the second mineral jig is dewatered to produce additional recovered soil. If the contamination includes insoluble heavy metal particles, they are separated from the effluent discharged from the second mineral jig by density separation preferably in a cross-current flow jig, prior to dewatering. Various techniques can be used to separate the fines and the contaminants dissolved and dispersed in the waste slurries discharged by the two mineral jigs used for countercurrent flow size separation from the contaminant mobilizing solution which is recycled.
摘要:
Particulate material such as for example soil contaminated with heavy metals, radioactive species and organics, singly or in combination, is treated by first washing the contaminated material with a contaminant mobilizing solution comprising a leaching agent, a surfactant or a mixture thereof. Large particles, typically greater than 5 mm are mechanically separated, washed with water and returned to the site as recovered soil. Fines, along with contaminants dissolved or dispersed in the contaminant mobilizing solution are separated from intermediate sized particles by a countercurrent flow of the contaminant mobilizing solution, preferably in a mineral jig. The intermediate sized particles are then abraded in an attrition scrubber to dislodge attached mineral slimes or fines. These additional fines are separated from the intermediate sized particles with a countercurrent flow of wash water in a second mineral jig. For some applications, the intermediate sized particles can also be abraded in an attrition scrubber prior to size separation in the first mineral jig. The slurry of intermediate sized particles and wash water discharged from the second mineral jig is dewatered to produce additional recovered soil. If the contamination includes insoluble heavy metal particles, they are separated from the effluent discharged from the second mineral jig by density separation preferably in a cross-current flow jig, prior to dewatering. Various techniques can be used to separate the fines and the contaminants dissolved and dispersed in the waste slurries discharged by the two mineral jigs used for countercurrent flow size separation from the contaminant mobilizing solution which is recycled.
摘要:
A process system is disclosed for the treatment of a waste sand material containing metal contaminants. The waste sand material is the product of sandblasting techniques used to remove paint. The metal contaminants generally include lead, copper, chromium, mercury and cadmium, among other heavy metals. The process particularly provides for the concentration of the lead contaminant in a waste sand that can be economically reclaimed or disposed in an environmentally safe manner. The process also produces a cleaned sand that contains only residual amounts of the metallic contaminants in environmentally acceptable levels. The process provides for the contacting of the waste sand material with a paint decomposer, attrition abrading this sand slurry, size separating the attrition abraded slurry to form a waste sand slurry and a cleaned sand, and removing a portion of the excess water content in the waste sand slurry.
摘要:
A method for segregating fines from the clean coarse fraction of the soil, preparing the contaminated fines for subsequent processing, and then separating the contaminants from the clean fines. The process produces a small, highly concentrated contaminanth fraction and a large fraction of clean soil. Metals, metallic compounds, and/or radioactive contaminants are removed from the fine fraction using either gravity separation, multistage gravity separation, a centrifugal jig, regular magnetic or paramagnetic separation using a high gradient magnetic separator, and/or a superconducting separator. Preparation of the fines requires selective segregation of the targeted particles size range and the removal of interfering soil fractions, and vegetation such as root hairs. This preparation is accomplished by a combination of attrition scrubbing, countercurrent jigging, and screening.
摘要:
Solutions such as for example drinking water, ground water and extracting solutions contaminated with heavy metals and radioactive species, singly or in combination, are treated by first treating the contaminated solution with silicate and ammonium hydroxide solution precipitants. Then the contaminated solution is separately treated with an acid which gels, polymerizes and/or precipitates the contaminant-containing silica matrix to form an easily dewaterable and separable solid. The solid contaminants are readily removed from the cleansed solution by filtration means. The process utilizes a novel combination of steps which maximizes contaminant removal, minimizes waste volume, and produces a treatable waste solid. The preferred precipitants are sodium silicate, and ammonium hydroxide. The preferred mineral acid is hydrochloric acid.
摘要:
Particulate material is treated by first washing the contaminated material with a contaminant mobilizing solution comprising a leaching agent, a surfactant or a mixture thereof. Large particles, typically greater than 5 mm are mechanically separated, washed with water and returned to the site as recovered soil. Fines, along with contaminants dissolved or dispersed in the contaminant mobilizing solution are separated from intermediate sized particles by a countercurrent flow of the contaminant mobilizing solution, preferably in a mineral jig. The intermediate sized particles are then abraded in an attrition scrubber to dislodge attached mineral slimes or fines. These additional fines are separated from the intermediate sized particles with a countercurrent flow of wash water in a second mineral jig. The preferred oxidizing agent is chlorine, and hydrogen is the preferred reducing agent.
摘要:
A method for removing and stabilizing in-situ soluble heavy metal contaminants in land formations which comprises introducing into said formation an aqueous remediation solution comprising naturally-occurring ions present in said formation and remediation ions. The remediation solution selectively solubilizes and mobilizes the heavy metal contaminants into solution while substantially suppressing the displacement of said naturally-occurring ions from said formation. The method is effective with heavy metals which exist in both anionic and cationic form, and may be used to treat land formations below the surface to reduce soluble heavy metal contamination to a few parts per billion.