Remediation-techniques for mercury-contaminated soils and sludges: Steam distillation and electrochemical leaching
- Max-Planck-Strasse, Geesthacht (Germany). GKSS-Research Centre
Mercury contaminated soils and sludges are a world wide problem, especially in Germany where several hot spots of mercury contaminations have been reported. Mercury and especially its organic species are substances with well-known toxicity. This work presents two different techniques, which are able to reduce the mercury-content in sludge and soil, respectively: (1) remediation by steam distillation, characterized by the following features -- mercury is released from sludge by steam distillation at temp. below 300 C, mercury-bearing steam is separated from treated soil by cyclones, waste gas is cleaned by a washing technique followed by condensation and adsorption on charcoal-filter, condensed water is cleaned by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, and no pre-drying of the sludge fraction; and (2) remediation by electrochemical leaching. An economical process is described which can be applied to low as well as high mercury content residues. The technique is a combination of three steps: (a) a pH dependent production of a leachate, (b) an oxidation and solution step, where mercury and other metals form stable and soluble complexes (c) a separation step, where the metals are separated by cathodic deposition. The samples contained 30,6 mg Hg/kg d.w. before and less than 1 mg Hg/kg after the electrochemical leaching. Up to 95% of the mercury was separated at the cathode.
- OSTI ID:
- 211938
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9617%%254
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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