Environmental Remediation Method

• US 20090039016A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerfoot Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Thinkvillage-Kerfoot LLC
• Inventors: Kerfoot, William B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,645,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/611
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/10 microbiologically, biologically or by using enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate

Abstract

Remediation for groundwater, soil, sediment bodies, bodies of water, tanks, pipes, and their surrounding areas are described. Remediation includes treating a site contaminated with toxic organic compounds by assessing for the presence or absence of suitable ozonophilic bacteria at the site and introducing ozone to the site. The ozonophilic bacteria are introduced to the site if the ozonophilic bacteria are not present or not present in sufficient quantities in the site. Ozone is introduced to the site in an amount sufficient to stimulate growth of the suitable ozonophilic bacteria. Other oxidants can also be used.

Claims

1. A method of treating a site that is contaminated with toxic organic compounds, comprising:

introducing ozonophilic bacteria within a liquid coating of bubbles to the site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ozonophilic bacteria are introduced through a microporous diffuser.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid coating of bubbles includes at least one of hydrogen peroxide and water.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bubbles include a gas used to make the bubbles.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the gas is not ozone.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the gas is one of ozone and oxygen.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ozonophilic bacteria include at least one type of bacteria from the genera Microbacterium, Gordonia (2), Hydrogenophaga, Nocardia, Rodococcus, Sphingomonas. Xanthobacteria, Algallgenes (2), Mycobacteria, Rubrivivax, Arthrobacter, Acidovorax, Burkholderia. Variovsarax, and Pseudomonas.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing ozonophilic bacteria occurs if the existing levels of ozonophilic bacteria are less than about 10,000 cfu/mL in a groundwater sample or less than about 25,000 cfu/gm in a soil sample.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing ozonophilic bacteria occurs if the type of bacteria is not from at least one of the genera of the Microbacterium, the Burkholderia, the Pseudomonas and the Xanthobacteria genus.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein ozone is introduced to the site after introducung the ozonophilic bacteria at an ozone concentration sufficient to stimulate growth of the ozonophilic bacteria.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the ozone is introduced to the site at an ozone concentration sufficient to stimulate the growth of the ozonophilic bacteria without killing the ozonophilic bacteria outside a distance of about one meter from the location of ozone introduction to the site.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the ozone is introduced in a range of 1 to 300 ppmv to stimulate growth of the ozonophilic bacteria in a distal region from the location of ozone introduction to the site.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing ozone comprises introducing the ozone as microbubbles.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the microbubbles are introduced using a microporous diffuser.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of introducing ozone occurs after dispersion of the ozonophilic bacteria.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the microbubble size is between 0.3 microns and 200 microns.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein the microporous diffuser is treated with a cleaning agent after the ozonophilic bacteria are introduced.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the cleaning agent is a biocide.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the biocide is sodium hypochlorite.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the cleaning agent is introduced when the colony-forming bacterial units per gram of soil (cfu/gm) exceed 100,000 units.