Remediation technologies for the cleanup of dioxin-contaminated soils and sediments are still being developed, but many of the accepted techniques rely on thermal destruction, which are energy intensive. Heat-based destruction techniques developed in the last two decades for treating dioxin-contaminated soil and debris include rotary kiln incineration, liquid injection incineration, fluidized bed/circulating fluidized bed, high-temperature fluid wall destruction (advanced electric reactor), infrared destruction, plasma arc pyrolysis, supercritical water oxidation, and in situ vitrification.

When the Times Beach, Missouri, cleanup began in the 1980s, only rotary kiln incineration had been fully demonstrated and was commercially available and permitted for cleaning up dioxin in soil. Difficulties with the permitting of innovative remediation technologies continues to be a barrier to development and implementation of new cleanup methods for this hazardous and recalcitrant compound.

Promising dechlorination methods for dioxin destruction are in varying stages of development: KPEG4, APEG-PLUS, base-catalyzed decomposition, thermal desorption/UV destruction, and thermal gas-phase reductive dechlorination, which combine dechlorination and incineration.

Bioremediation is regarded as an attractive possibility for cleaning up dioxin-contaminated soil, but its real applicability and effectiveness is unknown. The following technical obstacles continue to limit the application of bioremediation: 1) only very specialized biological systems can be effective against the high toxicity, low volubility, and high absorptivity of dioxin; 2) a very stringent cleanup standard must be met; and 3) it may be difficult to find a microorganism that can effectively deactivate dioxins under the different conditions present at existing dioxin-contaminated sites.

Reports

Dioxin Treatment Technologies
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. OTA-BP-O-93, 71 pp, 1991.

Covers developed and developing thermal and nonthermal treatment techniques, approaches such as stabilization and storage, and advantages and disadvantages of their use.

Polychlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin and Polychlorodibenzo-Furan Removal and Destruction
Stavan Patel, Michael D. Kaminski, Luis Nunez.
Argonne National Laboratory, ANL-CMT-03/4, 17 pp, 2003.
Contact: Mike Kaminski, kaminski@cmt.anl.gov

Provides a brief overview of technologies used to destroy or separate dioxins and furans from environmental samples as background for developing a magnetic particles technology for large-scale, cost-effective destruction of dioxins and furans in fresh water, sludge, or soil.

Reference Guide to Non-combustion Technologies for Remediation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Stockpiles and Soil
U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, EPA-542-R-05-006, 70 pp. December 2005

This report discusses the cost and performance of technologies that have been used to treat persistent organic pollutants of which dioxins are one.

Review of Emerging, Innovative Technologies for the Destruction and Decontamination of POPs and the Identification of Promising Technologies for Use in Developing Countries
Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand. United Nations Environment Programme, Global Environmental Facility, Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel. GF/8000-02-02-2205, 138 pp, 2004.

The proceedings of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environmental Facility United Nations Environment Programme workshop held in Washington, DC, 3-7 October 2003, were developed into a review of approximately 50 existing non-combustion technologies for the destruction of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Each technology was placed into one of five categories: (1) commercialized technologies with considerable experience, (2) technologies near or at the start of commercialization, (3) promising technologies, (4) technologies requiring significant research, and (5) technologies unlikely to be applicable for destruction of POPs stockpiles. Five emerging and promising technologies have been identified with encouragement for further evaluation and funding for rapid commercialization, i.e., ball milling, the GeoMelt(TM) process, mediated electrochemical oxidation via CerOx, mediated electrochemical oxidation via the AEA Silver II Process, and catalytic hydrogenation. Technology fact sheets and presentations are also available at this site.

Technical Resource Document: Treatment Technologies for Dioxin-Containing Wastes
Mark Arienti, Lisa Wilk, Michael Jasinski, and Nancy Prominski.
EPA 600-2-86-096, 258 pp, 1986.

The Use and Effectiveness of Phytoremediation to Treat Persistent Organic Pollutants
Kristi Russell, Environmental Careers Organization.
U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation and Field Services Division, Washington, DC. 49 pp, 2005.

The United Nations Environment Program has classified 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs)—i.e., PCBs, dioxins, furans, and nine pesticides—as being the compounds most hazardous to human health and the environment. This report discusses the application of phytoremediation to POPs-contaminated media and shows the potential for use of the technology in developing and transitional economies.

Biological Methods

Biodegradation of Dioxins and Furans
Reihe: Environmental Intelligence Unit
Rolf-Michael Wittich.
Springer-Verlag, ISBN: 3-540-63996-9, 289 pp, c1998.

Site Emerging Technology Bulletin: Photolysis/Biodegradation of PCB and PCDD/PCDF Contaminated Soils
U.S. EPA, Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program.
EPA 540-F-94-502, 2 pp, 1994.
Contact: Randy Parker, parker.randy@epa.gov

Physical/Chemical Methods

Bench-scale Testing of Photolysis, Chemical Oxidation, and Biodegradation of PCB Contaminated Soils, and Photolysis of TCDD Contaminated Soils
U.S. EPA, Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program.
EPA 540-R-94-531, 99 pp, 1994.

Bench-scale tests of a two-phase detoxification process (UV with solvent addition followed by biodegradation) for PCBs and TCDD showed no apparent destruction of the dioxin in the soil, though PCB reductions ranged from less than 15 to 69%.

Potential Applicability of Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment Technologies to RCRA Waste Streams and Contaminated Media
U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office.
EPA 542-R-00-004. 88 pp, 2000.
Contact: John Kingscott, kingscott.john@epa.gov

Examines seven ex situ technologies, including Commodore Advanced Sciences's Solvated Electron Technology and ELI Eco Logic's Gas Phase Chemical Reduction Technology that claim dioxin destruction capability.

Teledyne-Commodore Solvated Electron Technology Package
Review and Evaluation of Alternative Technologies for Demilitarization of Assembled Chemical Weapons. National Academies Press, p 133-155, 1999.

Thermal Methods

American Combustion Pyretron Destruction System. Applications Analysis Report
U.S. EPA, Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program.
EPA 540-A5-89-008, 51 pp, 1989.
Contact: Laurel Staley, staley.laurel@epa.gov

Destruction of PCBs in Contaminated Soils at Mare Island Navy Base: A Demonstration of In Situ Thermal Desorption Thermal Blankets and Wells
Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center Technical Data Sheet.
TDS-2044-ENV, 4 pp, 1997.
Contact: Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, 805-982-5560.

Sepradyne/Raduce High Vacuum Thermal Process for Destruction of Dioxins in INEEL/WERF Fly Ash
J.W. Adams, P.D. Kalb, and D.B. Malkmus.
Brookhaven National Lab., BNL-52631, 16 pp, 1999.

An indirectly heated, high temperature (900°C), high vacuum (28 inch Hg) rotary kiln developed and patented to treat a dioxin-contaminated mixed-waste incinerator ash successfully decomposed dioxins and furans at both low (450°C) and high (700-800°C) temperature regimes and achieved substantial volume and mass reduction of the ash.

Technical Guidelines for On-Site Thermal Desorption of Solid Media and Low Level Mixed Waste Contaminated with Mercury and/or Hazardous Chlorinated Organics
The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC), 68 pp, 1998.

Site-Specific Information

Federal Remediation Technology Roundtable Technology Cost and Performance Reports

• Glass Furnace Technology (GFT) Demonstration at the Hazen Research Center in Golden, Colorado and the Minergy GlassPack Test Center in Winneconne, Wisconsin (2004)
• In Situ Vitrification at the Parsons Chemical/ETM Enterprises Superfund Site, Grand Ledge, Michigan (1997)
• In Situ Vitrification, U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington; Oak Ridge National Laboratory WAG 7; and Various Commercial Sites (1997)
• Incineration at the Baird and McGuire Superfund Site, Holbrook, Massachusetts (1998)
• Incineration at the Times Beach Superfund Site, Times Beach, Missouri (1998)
• Incineration at the Vertac Chemical Corporation Superfund Site, Jacksonville, Arkan (1998)

Literature References

Technology Innovation News Survey Archives
The Technology Innovation News Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development. This report is updated every two weeks.

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