Thermal desorption of PCB-contaminated soil at the Re-Solve Superfund site
- Rust Federal Services, Anderson, SC (United States)
- Rust Remedial Services Inc., North Dartmouth, MA (United States)
Full-scale operation of the X*TRAX{reg_sign} thermal desorption process was initiated in June, 1993 at the Re-Solve Superfund site in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The X*TRAX system separates organic contaminants from soil and sludge by heating the solids in a sealed, indirectly fired rotary dryer. Water and the organic contaminants are volatilized into an inert nitrogen carrier gas. The treated soil is discharged from the dryer and is used for backfill at the site. The carrier gas and contaminants are treated in a gas system that removes particulates and condenses and recovers the contaminants for off-site disposal. The Re-Solve site was the location of a solvent recycling facility, and 50,000 tons of PCB contaminated soil required treatment by the X*TRAX unit. Although the site treatment standard was 25 ppm, the soil was routinely treated to less than 2 ppm PCBS. PCB levels in the feed soil ranged from 25 ppm to 13,000 ppm, with the average being from 300 to 700 ppm. The X*TRAX unit was operated at continuous feed rates of up to 11 tn./hr. and routinely achieved an on-line factor of over 80%. A USEPA Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) demonstration was also carried out in May, 1992. For this demonstration, PCB levels in the feed ranged from 181 to 515 ppm; treated soil samples all contained less than 1 ppm PCB, with an average of 0.25 ppm. Also, no PCBs were detected in the air emissions from the process, and the total identifiable organic emissions were measured at 0.4 gr./day. Soil treatment progressed as planned at Re-Solve, and treatment operations were concluded in July, 1994.
- OSTI ID:
- 49429
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941189--; ISBN 1-56590-016-2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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