Typical Wastes Treated

The identification, quantification, and characterization of the contaminants present at a site form the logical and necessary basis to study the applicability of a treatment technology. Characteristics influencing selection of remedial options for explosives-contaminated debris include  

Contaminant Type Typical military explosives include TNT, RDX, HMX, TNB, and 2,4-DNT. 

Form of the Contaminated Matrix The contaminated matrix is rocks and similar debris with a particle size over Vi-inch diameter. 

Quantity of Debris Requiring Remediation The quantity of explosives-contaminated debris is in the range of 2,000 to 25,000 tons. The debris is assumed to be 20% of the total weight of the soil being composted. 

Water Solubility The explosives considered as potential contaminants have low water solubility, typically less than 200 mg/l. 

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Incineration. Gases sufftciendy concentrated to support combustion are burned in waste-heat boilers, dares, or used for fuel. Typical pollutants treated by incineration are hydrocarbons, other organic solvents and blowdown gases, H2S, HCN, CO, H2, NH, and mercaptans. VOC... 

According to the vendor, in the United States the typical cost for the disposal of a hazardous heavy-metal waste ranges from 175 to 240 per ton, and the typical waste management cost is approximately 275 per ton. According to Solucorp Industries, an in-line MBS would save a manufacturer up to 150 or more per ton of waste treated (D15307B, p. 1). 

The cost of implementing an in situ surfactant flood will vary significantly from site to site. Because costs of full-scale implementation do not exist, currently available cost estimates are based on hypothetical examples and extrapolation from field pilot tests. For typical waste sites having contamination limited to the upper 15 m (49 ft) below ground surface, estimated costs range from 1.4 million per hectare to 18 million per hectare, or approximately 90 to 990/m ( 65 to 750/yd ) of treated contaminated soil (D16070D, p. ES-4). 

Five-gallon size waste forms were fabricated. Typical waste loading was 35-40 wt%. A small amount of potassium sulfide was added to the Ceramicrete binder mixture for stabilization of Hg, and dense and hard ceramic waste forms were produced. Just before solidification, TCLP results were obtained on small aliquots of the mixing slurry that was separated and allowed to set. Mercury levels in the leachate were found to be 0.05 /rg/1, well below the LfTS limit of 0.025 mg/1. The entire waste was treated, removed from the inventory, and sent to the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for disposal. 

In early designs, the reaction heat typically was removed by cooling water. Crude dichloroethane was withdrawn from the reactor as a liquid, acid-washed to remove ferric chloride, then neutralized with dilute caustic, and purified by distillation. The material used for separation of the ferric chloride can be recycled up to a point, but a purge must be done. This creates waste streams contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons which must be treated prior to disposal. 

A large use of molecular sieves ia the natural gas industry is LPG sweetening, in which H2S and other sulfur compounds are removed. Sweetening and dehydration are combined in one unit and the problem associated with the disposal of caustic wastes from Hquid treating systems is eliminated. The regeneration medium is typically natural gas. Commercial plants are processing from as Htde as ca 30 m /d (200 bbl/d) to over 8000 m /d (50,000 bbl/d). 

Sewer Disposal. Photoprocessing and printing wastes tend to be aqueous solutions that ate combined with other plant effluents and sent to the local sewer plant for treatment. The parameters of concern include silver, pH, and biological oxygen demand (BOD). BOD is a measure of how well a waste material degrades in the environment. Lower values ate preferred. Silver-bearing waste streams ate typically treated on-site, and the treated effluent is released to the drain. The printer usually receives a small cash credit for silver recovered. 

Design and (Operation Important design and operation considerations for deep-well injection are related to (1) well-site selection, (2) pretreatment, (3) installation of an injec tion well, and (4) monitoring. Important factors related to these design and operation considerations are reported in Table 25-76. As noted in the table, wastes are usually treated prior to injec tion to prevent clogging of the formation and damage to equipment. Particles greater than about 1 to 5 Im must be removed. Typically, treated wastes must be filtered prior to... 

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