Soil and groundwater decontamination system with vacuum extraction

• US 6,158,924 A
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David M. Goodrich, Nick Athens
• Original Assignee: David M. Goodrich, Nick Athens
• Inventors: Goodrich, David M., Athens, Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRECK, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US09/295,022
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 405/128, 166/52, 166/90.1, 166/75.12, 166/268, 166/270.1, 166/275
• US Class Current: 405/128.25
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/02 Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching , flotation
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/08 chemically

Abstract

A soil and groundwater decontamination system (10) and associated process are provided for soil and groundwater remediation. The system (10) and process utilizes both a physical or chemical reaction with the contaminants in a contaminated subsurface zone and extraction of the reaction end products and any remaining contaminants from the contaminated subsurface zone (100). In architecture, the soil and groundwater decontamination system (10) comprises an chemical product (12) that is introduced into an injection well (18). The injection well (18) is disposed into a passage provided in or adjacent to the contaminated subsurface zone (100) and allows the introduction of the chemical product (12) (and catalyst (24) if necessary) into the contaminated subsurface zone (100). The chemical product (12) reacts (physically or chemically) with contamination in the soil and groundwater and creates a reaction end product. The soil and groundwater decontamination system (10) further includes a vacuum pump (15) in fluid connection with a drop tube (22), and an optional air supply (16) in fluid communication with a well casing (18). The drop tube (22) includes an opening and is disposed longitudinally inside the well casing (20). The reaction end products and remaining contaminants are drawn into an opening in the well casing (20) and into the opening disposed in the drop tube (22), thereby extracting the reaction end products and remaining contaminants from the soil and groundwater in a preferably integrated dual-phase flow of vapor phase and liquid phase in one common stream.

Claims

1. A soil and groundwater decontamination system for decontaminating a contaminated subsurface zone, the contaminated subsurface zone having a groundwater level below which is a groundwater zone and above which is a vadose zone, the vadose zone and the groundwater level having a capillary fringe therebetween, comprising:

an injection means for introducing a fluid into said contaminated subsurface zones, said fluid being able to react with subsurface contaminant and produce a reaction end product;

a fluid pumping means for delivering said fluid to said injection means;

a vacuum means for creating and maintaining a vacuum in at least a portion of said system;

an extraction means for extracting contaminant from the contaminated subsurface zone, said extraction means being in fluid communication with said vacuum means, said extraction means extracting the reaction end product from the contaminated subsurface zone and contaminant from the contaminated subsurface zone; and

a fluid introducing means arranged and configured to introduce a fluid substantially adjacent and surrounding said extraction means, said extraction means being disposed within said fluid introducing means.

2. The soil and groundwater decontamination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a catalyst supply means for supplying a catalyst to said injection means.

3. The soil and groundwater decontamination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a phase separator means for separation of multiple phases extracted through said extraction means, said multiple phases comprising a gas phase and a liquid phase, wherein said phase separator means is in fluid communication with said extraction means.

4. The soil and groundwater decontamination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a contaminant filter means for treating extracted groundwater and vapor products, said contaminant filter means being in fluid communication with said extraction means.