Recyclable Bio-Reagent for Rapid and Selective Extraction of Contaminants from Soil

40235 November 6, 1996
ISOTRON Corporation

The nation¿s inventory of contaminated soil has been estimated at 200 million tons. This work focuses on the selective extraction of contaminants from soil using a bio-reagent, i.e., naturally occurring chemicals produced by plants. The process provides for the highly selective solubilization of heavy metals and radionuclides without extracting significant quantities of essential soil cations. An ex-situ soil cleaning process, in which the soil remains in a transport container through the decontamination process, will permit recycling of the bio-reagent. When extraction of the contaminants has been completed, the container of clean soil returns to its origin. Rocks, vegetation, roots, etc., need not be removed and high clay content oils are accommodated. The new bio-reagent will be recycled using an electrokinetic separation module. Because the bio-reagent is essentially a "natural" product, any solubilizer residual in the soil is not expected to cause regulatory concern. Phase I will confirm the effectiveness of this bio-reagent on a wide range of contaminants and identify engineering parameters needed to carry out a full scale demonstration of the process.

Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: The process should provide for cost-effective decontamination of a wide range of heavy metals and radionuclides from contaminated soils.