Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Experimental Study of Stabilization/Solidification of Hazardous Wastes
EPA Grant Number: R825549C007Subproject: this is subproject number 007 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825549
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc., Environmental Research and Technology Transfer Program
Center Director: Schumacher, Dorin
Title: Experimental Study of Stabilization/Solidification of Hazardous Wastes
Investigators: Fan, L. T.
Institution: Kansas State University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: February 1, 1989 through May 1, 1992
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (1989) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
The goals of this research are to examine experimentally the feasibility and suitability of stabilization/solidification for typical or prevailing wastes in EPA Regions 7 and 9, and to establish extensive knowledge and databases necessary for optimal treatment of such wastes.Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Numerous Superfund sites in EPA Regions 7 and 8 involve contaminated soil and mine tailing for which stabilization/solidification is often the only feasible technique for treatment. This technique is also applicable to a variety of other hazardous wastes.
Various factors affect the immobilizing mechanism of
stabilization/solidification of hazardous wastes; these include the type and
amount of pozzolanic materials and solidification-aiding reagents, and the
characteristics of the wastes. To identify environmentally acceptable and
economically feasible stabilization/solidification techniques for treating
organic and inorganic hazardous wastes generated in EPA Regions 7 and 8, a
series of statistically designed experiments has been carried out for each of
these wastes. The necessity and desirability of pre-treating these wastes has
also been examined. The available methods for pre-treatment include; dilution
with solid or liquid materials, grinding, and absorption and adsorption with
porous substances, e.g., activated carbon and natural zeolite.
An attempt has
been made to utilize a wide variety of inexpensive pozzolanic materials, such as
fly ash, silica fume, lime-kiln dust, cement-kiln dust and ground blast-furnace
slag, for stabilization/solidification.
The first study was concerned with the feasibility of stabilizing and solidifying low-level radioactive liquid waste from a Boiling Water Reactor (BOOR) nuclear power plant with a pozzolan-based fixation process. For safety, the waste in this study was simulated with a non-radioactive solution; its composition and chemical properties were identical to those of the actual radioactive waste. The results indicate that the waste solidified with the present method easily meets the standard for radioactive waste disposal proposed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The results also reveal that Class F fly ash is effective in the solidification of low-level radioactive liquid waste for safe storage as long as it is facilitated by proper amounts of Portland cement and solidification aid. These results are detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the 1989 Conference on Hazardous Waste Research.
The influence of the type and amount of binding agent on the characteristics of solidified arsenic waste prepared with a pozzolan-based solidification process was investigated in the second study. The waste was simulated by blending sodium-arsenite (NaAsO2), water, and soil. Class C fly ash and a mixture of Type I Portland cement and Class F fly ash were the pozzolans of choice. Both classes of fly ash were generated from coal-fired plants. The experiments were carried out with pozzolans of different compositions and various ratios of waste to pozzolan. The results reveal that the compressive strength of the solidified waste sample increases with an increase m the binding agent and that the leachability of arsenic from the solidified waste sample, in general, decreases with an increase in the strength of the sample; moreover, Class C fly ash is more effective than the mixture of 20 wt% Portland cement and 80 wt% Class F fly ash in trapping the arsenic. It appears that part of the arsenic in the waste interacts physically and/or chemically with the binding agent and solidification aid and is integrated eventually into the matrix of the solidified waste sample. These results are detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the 1990 Conference on Hazardous Waste Research.
The compressive strength and leachability of lead from the solidified electric arc furnace dust (K061) prepared with a pozzolan-based solidification process were investigated in the third study. The waste was generated in controlling emissions from the primary production of steel in an electric arc furnace. A mixture of Type I Portland cement and Class C fly ash from a coal-fired plant was the pozzolan of choice. The experiments were carried out with pozzolans (Portland cement/fly ash mixtures) of different compositions and various ratios of waste to pozzolan. The results indicate that the compressive strength of the solidified sample increases with an increase in Portland cement, and the leachability of lead from the solidified sample decreases with an increase in the strength and increases with an increase in the pH of the sample. These results are detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the 1990 Conference on Hazardous Waste Research.
The fourth study was concerned with the extent of stabilization of sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) by various types of soil before and after solidification in terms of leachability. The arsenic-containing soils were prepared by blending sodium arsenite with various types of soil, ranging from the totally sandy type to the totally clay type. A series of statistically designed solidification experiments was carried out with each of these soils. The leachability of arsenic from each mixture of sodium arsenite and soil before and after solidification was determined with the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The results indicate that the leachability of arsenic decreases appropriately with an increase in the clay content of the soil even before solidification. Moreover, it decreases drastically upon solidification for the entire range of compositions. These results are detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the 1991 Conference on Hazardous Waste Research.
The effect of the waste/binder mixture's pH on the characteristics of solidified samples of arsenic-containing soil was experimentally investigated in the fifth study. The experiments were carried out with waste samples of different pH values. The leachabilities of arsenic from the waste before and after solidification were determined with the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure. The results have revealed that arsenic-containing soil can be cost-effectively stabilized and solidified with the pozzolan-based solidification process by properly adjusting the pH of the waste/binder mixture and by optimally executing a sequence of operating steps. These results are detailed in a paper in the Proceedings of the 1992 Conference on Hazardous Waste Research.
The results have been presented at professional meetings and made available to interested parties.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 6 publications for this subprojectSupplemental Keywords:
stabilization, solidification, heavy metals, arsenic., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Geographic Area, Remediation, Contaminated Sediments, Environmental Chemistry, Geochemistry, Arsenic, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Hazardous Waste, Ecology and Ecosystems, Hazardous, EPA Region, sediment treatment, fate and transport, Region 9, contaminant transport, soil and groundwater remediation, fate and transport , contaminated sediment, acid mine drainage, contaminated soil, bioremediation of soils, groundwater remediation, Region 7, Region 8, stabilization remediation , contaminated groundwater, hazardous wate, heavy metal contamination, mining waste, solidification remediation, pozzolanic materials, bioremediation, groundwater, heavy metalsRelevant Websites:
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/HSRC Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R825549 The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc., Environmental Research and Technology Transfer Program Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825549C006 Fate of Trichloroethylene (TCE) in Plant/Soil Systems
R825549C007 Experimental Study of Stabilization/Solidification of Hazardous Wastes
R825549C008 Modeling Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate and Pesticide Contamination in the Subsurface Environment
R825549C009 Vadose Zone Decontamination by Air Venting
R825549C010 Thermochemical Treatment of Hazardous Wastes
R825549C011 Development, Characterization and Evaluation of Adsorbent Regeneration Processes for Treament of Hazardous Waste
R825549C012 Computer Method to Estimate Safe Level Water Quality Concentrations for Organic Chemicals
R825549C013 Removal of Nitrogenous Pesticides from Rural Well-Water Supplies by Enzymatic Ozonation Process
R825549C014 The Characterization and Treatment of Hazardous Materials from Metal/Mineral Processing Wastes
R825549C015 Adsorption of Hazardous Substances onto Soil Constituents
R825549C016 Reclamation of Metal and Mining Contaminated Superfund Sites using Sewage Sludge/Fly Ash Amendment
R825549C017 Metal Recovery and Reuse Using an Integrated Vermiculite Ion Exchange - Acid Recovery System
R825549C018 Removal of Heavy Metals from Hazardous Wastes by Protein Complexation for their Ultimate Recovery and Reuse
R825549C019 Development of In-situ Biodegradation Technology
R825549C020 Migration and Biodegradation of Pentachlorophenol in Soil Environment
R825549C021 Deep-Rooted Poplar Trees as an Innovative Treatment Technology for Pesticide and Toxic Organics Removal from Soil and Groundwater
R825549C022 In-situ Soil and Aquifer Decontaminaiton using Hydrogen Peroxide and Fenton's Reagent
R825549C023 Simulation of Three-Dimensional Transport of Hazardous Chemicals in Heterogeneous Soil Cores Using X-ray Computed Tomography
R825549C024 The Response of Natural Groundwater Bacteria to Groundwater Contamination by Gasoline in a Karst Region
R825549C025 An Electrochemical Method for Acid Mine Drainage Remediation and Metals Recovery
R825549C026 Sulfide Size and Morphology Identificaiton for Remediation of Acid Producing Mine Wastes
R825549C027 Heavy Metals Removal from Dilute Aqueous Solutions using Biopolymers
R825549C028 Neutron Activation Analysis for Heavy Metal Contaminants in the Environment
R825549C029 Reducing Heavy Metal Availability to Perennial Grasses and Row-Crops Grown on Contaminated Soils and Mine Spoils
R825549C030 Alachlor and Atrazine Losses from Runoff and Erosion in the Blue River Basin
R825549C031 Biodetoxification of Mixed Solid and Hazardous Wastes by Staged Anaerobic Fermentation Conducted at Separate Redox and pH Environments
R825549C032 Time Dependent Movement of Dioxin and Related Compounds in Soil
R825549C033 Impact of Soil Microflora on Revegetation Efforts in Southeast Kansas
R825549C034 Modeling the use of Plants in Remediation of Soil and Groundwater Contaminated by Hazardous Organic Substances
R825549C035 Development of Electrochemical Processes for Improved Treatment of Lead Wastes
R825549C036 Innovative Treatment and Bank Stabilization of Metals-Contaminated Soils and Tailings along Whitewood Creek, South Dakota
R825549C037 Formation and Transformation of Pesticide Degradation Products Under Various Electron Acceptor Conditions
R825549C038 The Effect of Redox Conditions on Transformations of Carbon Tetrachloride
R825549C039 Remediation of Soil Contaminated with an Organic Phase
R825549C040 Intelligent Process Design and Control for the Minimization of Waste Production and Treatment of Hazardous Waste
R825549C041 Heavy Metals Removal from Contaminated Water Solutions
R825549C042 Metals Soil Pollution and Vegetative Remediation
R825549C043 Fate and Transport of Munitions Residues in Contaminated Soil
R825549C044 The Role of Metallic Iron in the Biotransformation of Chlorinated Xenobiotics
R825549C045 Use of Vegetation to Enhance Bioremediation of Surface Soils Contaminated with Pesticide Wastes
R825549C046 Fate and Transport of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil: The Impacts of Vegetation
R825549C047 Vegetative Interceptor Zones for Containment of Heavy Metal Pollutants
R825549C048 Acid-Producing Metalliferous Waste Reclamation by Material Reprocessing and Vegetative Stabilization
R825549C049 Laboratory and Field Evaluation of Upward Mobilization and Photodegradation of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins and Furans in Soil
R825549C050 Evaluation of Biosparging Performance and Process Fundamentals for Site Remediation
R825549C051 Field Scale Bioremediation: Relationship of Parent Compound Disappearance to Humification, Mineralization, Leaching, Volatilization of Transformaiton Intermediates
R825549C052 Chelating Extraction of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils
R825549C053 Application of Anaerobic and Multiple-Electron-Acceptor Bioremediation to Chlorinated Aliphatic Subsurface Contamination
R825549C054 Application of PGNAA Remote Sensing Methods to Real-Time, Non-Intrusive Determination of Contaminant Profiles in Soils
R825549C055 Design and Development of an Innovative Industrial Scale Process to Economically Treat Waste Zinc Residues
R825549C056 Remediation of Soils Contaminated with Wood-Treatment Chemicals (PCP and Creosote)
R825549C057 Effects of Surfactants on the Bioavailability and Biodegradation of Contaminants in Soils
R825549C058 Contaminant Binding to the Humin Fraction of Soil Organic Matter
R825549C059 Identifying Ground-Water Threats from Improperly Abandoned Boreholes
R825549C060 Uptake of BTEX Compounds by Hybrid Poplar Trees in Hazardous Waste Remediation
R825549C061 Biofilm Barriers for Waste Containment
R825549C062 Plant Assisted Remediation of Soil and Groundwater Contaminated by Hazardous Organic Substances: Experimental and Modeling Studies
R825549C063 Extension of Laboratory Validated Treatment and Remediation Technologies to Field Problems in Aquifer Soil and Water Contamination by Organic Waste Chemicals
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
Main Center: R825549
904 publications for this center
182 journal articles for this center