In situ formation of reactive barriers for pollution control

• US 6,726,406 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Gilmore, Tyler J., Riley, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US09/888,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 405/128.1, 405/128.15, 405/128.45, 405/128.5, 405/128.7, 405/129.2, 405/129.25, 405/263, 405/264, 405/267, 405/266, 210/747, 210/170
• US Class Current: 405/128.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 17/002 Injection of toxic gases or fluids into the soil special arrangements for delivering fertilising liquids directly into the soil A01C23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/00 Reclamation of contaminated soil

Abstract

A method of treating soil contamination by forming one or more zones of oxidized material in the path of percolating groundwater is disclosed. The zone or barrier region is formed by delivering an oxidizing agent into the ground for reaction with an existing soil component. The oxidizing agent modifies the existing soil component creating the oxidized zone. Subsequently when soil contaminates migrate into the zone, the oxidized material is available to react with the contaminates and degrade them into benign products. The existing soil component can be an oxidizable mineral such as manganese, and the oxidizing agent can be ozone gas or hydrogen peroxide. Soil contaminates can be volatile organic compounds. Oxidized barriers can be used single or in combination with other barriers.

Claims

1. A method for treating soil pollution comprising:

forming a barrier of oxidized soil material by delivering a gaseous oxidizing agent into the ground to oxidize an existing soil component, wherein the barrier is formed in the path of contaminate migration;

reacting the oxidized soil material with a quantity of soil contaminate subsequently migrating into the barrier to reduce the level of the soil contaminate migrating through the barrier to an acceptable level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing agent is ozone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the existing soil component is a mineral.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the existing soil component is a naturally occurring mineral.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the existing soil component is manganese.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the oxidizing agent is ozone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the soil contaminate is a volatile organic compound.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the oxidant is ozone.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the existing soil component is manganese.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reacting of the oxidized soil material with a quantity of soil contaminate occurs at least about 24 hours after delivery of the oxidizing agent ceases.

11. A reactive barrier formation method comprising:

identifying a quantity of minerals in the subsurface;

delivering a quantity of an oxidizing agent into the subsurface to oxidize the identified minerals,

wherein the quantity of delivered oxidizing agent is sufficient to oxidize the identified minerals to form a reactive barrier of oxidized soil material,

the reactive barrier comprising a sufficient quantity of oxidized soil material to reduce the level of a soil contaminate subsequently migrating through the barrier to an acceptable level.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the oxidizing agent is gaseous.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the quantity of minerals comprise manganese.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the oxidizing agent is ozone.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the soil contaminate is a volatile organic compound.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the quantity of minerals comprise manganese.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

18. A method for preventing the spread of soil pollution comprising:

identifying a site of soil contamination wherein the soil is contaminated by at least one soil contaminate susceptible to degradation to benign products by reaction with an oxidant;

determining a direction of contaminate migration;

injecting an oxidizing agent into the ground in the path of the contaminate migration;

reacting the injected oxidizing agent with a naturally occurring soil component to form a treatment barrier of the oxidized naturally occurring soil material;

the treatment barrier being formed of a sufficient quantity of oxidized soil material to reduce the quantity of the soil contaminate subsequently migrating through the barrier to an acceptable level before the soil contaminate leaves the barrier.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising reacting the oxidized soil material with contaminate migrating into the treatment barrier.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the oxidizing agent is gaseous.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the naturally occurring soil component comprise minerals.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the minerals comprise manganese.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the oxidized naturally occurring soil material comprises permanganate.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the oxidizing agent is ozone gas.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

26. A reactive barrier formation method comprising:

positioning one or more reagent delivery tubes in subsurface contact with a soil;

supplying an oxidizing reactive reagent to the soil through the tube;

reacting the oxidizing reactive reagent with a naturally occurring component of the soil to form a reactive barrier;

the reactive barrier reacting with soil contaminates subsequently migrating into the barrier to reduce the level of soil contaminates migrating through the barrier to acceptable levels.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the oxidizing reactive reagent is ozone.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the naturally occurring component of the soil comprises a soil mineral.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the oxidizing reactive reagent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

30. A method for treating soil pollution comprising:

forming a barrier of oxidized soil material by delivering an oxidizing agent into the ground to oxidize an existing soil component, wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of ozone and hydrogen peroxide, and wherein the barrier is formed in the path of contaminate migration;

reacting the oxidized soil material with a quantity of soil contaminate subsequently migrating into the barrier to reduce the level of the soil contaminate migrating through the barrier to an acceptable level.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the existing soil component is a mineral.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the existing soil component is a naturally occurring mineral.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the existing soil component is selected from the group consisting of tourmaline, axinite, pryolusite, psilomelane, wolframite, manganite, columbite-tantalite, franklinite, rhodonite, rhodocrosite, the amphilboe group of minerals, johannsenite and augite.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the existing soil component is pyrolusite.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the soil contaminate is a volatile organic compound.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the existing soil component is manganese.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the oxidant is ozone gas.