Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Photochemical oxidation: A solution for the mixed waste dilemma

Conference ·
OSTI ID:240895
; ;  [1]
  1. Vulcan Peroxidation Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ (United States); and others

Numerous technologies are available to remove organic contamination from water or wastewater. A variety of techniques also exist that are used to neutralize radioactive waste. However, few technologies can satisfactorily address the treatment of mixed organic/radioactive waste without creating unacceptable secondary waste products or resulting in extremely high treatment costs. An innovative solution to the mixed waste problem is on-site photochemical oxidation. Liquid-phase photochemical oxidation has a long- standing history of successful application to the destruction of organic compounds. By using photochemical oxidation, the organic contaminants are destroyed on-site leaving the water, with radionuclides, that can be reused or disposed of as appropriate. This technology offers advantages that include zero air emissions, no solid or liquid waste formation, and relatively low treatment cost. Discussion of the photochemical process will be described, and several case histories from recent design testing, including cost analyses for the resulting full-scale installations, will be presented as examples.

Research Organization:
Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
OSTI ID:
240895
Report Number(s):
CONF-951209--; ON: DE96005882
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English