A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem: Hexavalent Chromium in Landfill Storm water - 16129
- RSI EnTech, LLC (United States)
- URS-CH2M Oak Ridge LLC - UCOR (United States)
- Edgewater Federal Solutions (United States)
- Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management - OREM (United States)
Management of hexavalent chromium (Cr+6)-contaminated water at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) is a significant operational challenge, in addition to the challenges already posed by water management. The Cr+6 discharge criterion of 16 micrograms per liter (μg/L) is typically met; however, when demolition debris containing Cr+6 is received for disposal, concentrations up to 280 μg/L have been seen. The large volume of water generated at EMWMF from the 130-cm (51-in.) annual precipitation creates a complex water management problem that must be quickly addressed to maintain compliant landfill operations. The EMWMF Operations Team devised and implemented a simple, low-cost method to rapidly reduce the Cr+6 from the landfill storm water. The Cr+6 reduction system uses inexpensive, commercially available components of which the key is conventional steel wool in 760-L (200-gal) plastic bins. The Cr+6-impacted storm water is pumped through the bins, where the Cr+6 reacts with the elemental iron of the steel wool and reduces to trivalent chromium. The water then spills back into the ponds. Water is continuously recirculated through the bins until the release criterion is verified to be achieved, allowing the storm water to be discharged into the adjacent receiving stream. This cost-effective system is operated with in-house craft personnel, requiring only minimal additional training and hazard controls. The system can operate continuously with minimal intervention and has successfully processed millions of liters of storm water. The success of the initial installation has been refined over time, allowing Cr+6 reduction to proceed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with a Cr+6 reduction rate of about 20 μg/L per day. The system is scalable to achieve even higher reduction rates and adaptable to other metals. Through October 2015, over 65.1E6 L (17.2E6 gal) of contact water with Cr+6 above the release criterion was managed using the EMWMF system. This simple solution to a complex water management problem provides significant cost savings and operational efficiencies over traditional transportation and treatment at a water treatment facility. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22838017
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-19-WM-16129; TRN: US19V1210083372
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM2016: 42. Annual Waste Management Symposium, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 6-10 Mar 2016; Other Information: Country of input: France; 11 refs.; available online at: http://archive.wmsym.org/2016/index.html
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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