Supercritical extraction of toxic contaminants from water

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5928609

Irvin, T R; Roop, R K; Akgerman, A

Recent attention has been directed to supercritical fluid extraction as a viable method for the economic removal of toxic organic contaminants from hazardous waste streams as well as surface and groundwater resources. Two factors underlie current problems in the understanding, design, equipment scale-up, and on line usage of supercritical fluid extraction systems for waste chemical isolation from waste sites and water: determination of a single, lumped design parameter for extraction; i.e. the distribution coefficient or the K value; and for a particular mixture, determination of the extent of extraction necessary for detoxification. The authors have used various toxicity indices to determine these two parameters for extraction of complex contaminant mixtures from water. Their approach is to monitor and measure (before and after extraction) water borne toxic activity via application of short term bioassays for toxic endpoints for prenatal toxicity. Extraction of creosote from water by CO/sub 2/ is chosen as the model system. The extraction process is carried out in a single equilibrium stage extractor and continued until equilibrium is reached. This approach permits simultaneous determination of a ''lumped'' overall distribution coefficient (K value) for the toxic mixture and the extent of extraction necessary for the clean-up of contaminated water. In addition, this novel approach, for the first time, relates the engineering parameters (such as pressure, temperature, superficial velocity, etc.) of the extraction process to toxicity indices.

• OSTI ID: 5928609
• Report Number(s): CONF-870323-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320603* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL
CREOSOTE
EXTRACTION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
PURIFICATION
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SUPERCRITICAL GAS EXTRACTION
THERMODYNAMICS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
WATER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
WATER TREATMENT