Environmental remediation method and apparatus

• US 6,805,798 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kerfoot Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: William B. Kerfoot
• Inventors: Kerfoot, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Chester T.
• Application Number:
  US09/860,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20030029792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 210/759, 210/760, 210/620
• US Class Current: 210/620
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/08 chemically
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/10 microbiologically, biologically or by using enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 2101/00 In situ
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/722 Oxidation by peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/725 by catalytic oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/727 using pure oxygen or oxygen rich gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/322 Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/363 PCB's; PCP's
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/02 Fluid flow conditions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/06 Nutrients for stimulating the growth of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/02 Aerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

This invention relates to remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies using thin-layer coated microbubbles.

Claims

1. A remediation process comprising:

generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds and generation of microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds, wherein the microbubbles are coated by directing a gas through a liquid and two layers of microporous material, wherein the liquid and a packing material is sandwiched between the layers of microporous material, resulting in the coated microbubbles.

2. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the gas in the microbubbles comprises air and ozone, with ozone at concentration to effect reactions with contaminants and the liquid that coats the microbubbles is a Criege oxidation by product or hydrogen peroxide.

3. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the microbubbles have a diameter of less than about 200.

4. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein generating uses a diffusing apparatus including two concentric tubes of 0.5-200 micron microporous material, the inner tube receiving gas flow sandwiching a hydrophobic layer of microbeads 0.01 to 1.0 mm diameter which receives hydroperoxide flow.

5. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein generating uses a diffusing apparatus including two concentric tubes of 5-200 micron stainless steel microporous material, the inner tube receiving gas flow sandwiching a hydrophobic layer of microbeads or porous material which receives hydroperoxide flow.

6. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the microporous material is porous high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, low-density polyethylene, acetal, or polypropylene.

7. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction is oxidative.

8. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction is reductive.

9. The remediation process of claim 1, wherein the coated microbubbles are injected into soil.

10. A remediation process comprising:

generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds wherein the microbubble is coated by introducing a liquid as an aerosol to a gas, which mixture is forced through a microporous material, resulting in the coated microbubble, and contacting the coated microbubble with the area to be remediated.

11. The remediation process of claim 10, where the chemical degradation is an oxidative reaction.

12. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises ozone gas with hydroperoxide or peracid coatings.

13. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises air with hydroperoxide or peracid coatings.

14. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises ozone gas with permanganate coatings.

15. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises air with permanganate coatings.

16. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises air with Fenton'"'"'s Reagent coatings.

17. The remediation process of claim 11, wherein the microbubble comprises ozone with Fenton'"'"'s Reagent coatings.

18. The process of claim 11 further comprising:

promoting biological remediation by including contacting microbubbles comprising oxygen-enriched air and a carbon-source as the liquid coating, and wherein the biological remediation step follows the chemical oxidation microbubble contacting.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein biological microbubble contacting is alternated with chemical oxidation microbubble contacting.

20. The process of claim 10, wherein the organic compounds are degraded by a oxidation reaction at the interfaces of the thin-layer coating that includes reactants and Criegee oxidation by-products resulting from the interaction of ozone and hydroperoxide.

21. The process of claim 10, wherein the compounds are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with Henry'"'"'s Constants less than or equal to 10⁻

5 ATM-M³/mole.

22. The process of claim 10, wherein the compounds are halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs).

23. The process of claim 10, wherein the compounds are poorly volatile, having a Henry'"'"'s Constant greater than 10⁻

5 ATM-M³ and break down into volatile organic compound by-products upon chemical oxidation microbubble contact.

24. The process claim 23, wherein the compounds are polyaromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., anthracene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, naphthalene), polychiorinated phenols, or phthalates.

25. The process of claim 11, wherein the peracid is peroxyacetic acid, peroxyformic acid, perhydroxymethyl acid, or perhydroxy acid.

26. The process of claim 22, wherein the halogenated volatile organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of perchioroethylene, trichioroethylene, dichioroethylene, vinyl chloride, trichioroethane, dichioroethane, chloroform, ethylene dibromide, and chlorobenzene.

27. The process of claim 22, wherein the halogenated volatile organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of PCBs, heptachlor, petroleum aromatics, BTEX, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, naphthalene, methyl-t-butyl ether;

aromatic nitro compounds, trinitrotoluene, nitrobenzene;

styrene and ethyl-t-buyl ether.

28. The process of claim 22, wherein the halogenated volatile organic compounds is methyl-t-butyl ether.