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ELECTROCHEMICAL DESIGN ASSOCIATES (FORMERLY GEOKINETICS INTERNATIONAL, INC.) LEAD RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION ITER
Citation:
PARKER, R. A. AND Tetra Tech EM Inc. ELECTROCHEMICAL DESIGN ASSOCIATES (FORMERLY GEOKINETICS INTERNATIONAL, INC.) LEAD RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION ITER. EPA/540/R-04/506, 2005.
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Description:
This report presents performance and economic data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program evaluation of Electrochemical Design Associates (EDA), formerly known as Geokinetics International Inc., Lead Recovery Technology Evaluation. The demonstration evaluated the technology's ability to remove lead contamination from soil.
The EDA technology was operated by injecting electroyte solution into the treatment tank, allowing the electrolyte solution to migrate vertically and horizontally through the soil. The ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid in the electrolyte solution acted as a chelating agent, forming a soluble Pb-EDTA2- complex. The Pb-EDTA2- complex within the electrolyte was removed from the bottom of the treatment tank through extraction pipes. From here, the electrolyte solution flowed into the header tank and fed directly into the proprietary electrolyte solution management system (ESMS). The ESMS consisted of proprietary electochemical lead recovery cells. Once it had passed through the ESMS, the electrolyte solution was delivered to a holding tank where it was stored and the pH was adjusted. From here, the electrolyte solution was re-delivered to the treatment tank and the process was repeated. The entire system is a batch closed-loop process, which is initiated and controlled by a single automated process control system (GII1998b)
The demonstration tested the ability of the EDA technology to remove lead form in two phases. Phase I was conducted at Building 394 Battery Shop from August 8 to September 28, 2001 and Phase II was conducted from Apil 1 to July 22, 2002.
Primary demonstration objectives evaluated whether the EDA technology reduced lead concentrations in soil to below the clean-up goal of 2,000 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). The EDA technology reduced lead concentrations in soil; however, not below the 2,000 mg/kg clean-up goal for all batches.
Potential sites for applying this technology include Superfund and other hazardous waste sites where soils are contaminated with lead. Economic data indicate that remediation costs of using this technology are affected by site-specific factors, such as the availability to electrical and water lines. The operating cost for implementing the EDA technology is estimated to be $11,980 per ton for a 5-ton pilot study, and $546 per ton for a 500 ton full-scale study. Capital costs are not available at this time.