Grantee Research Project Results
Low-Cost Activated Carbon for Permeable Contaminant Barriers
EPA Contract Number: 68D98137Title: Low-Cost Activated Carbon for Permeable Contaminant Barriers
Investigators: Kelly, John T.
Small Business: Altex Technologies Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1998 through March 1, 1999
Project Amount: $70,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , SBIR - Waste , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
It is estimated that the U.S. government will have to remediate the soil and groundwater at over 3,700 contaminated sites. Many sites develop underground plumes of VOCs, PCBs, and heavy metals. Contaminated plume migration through the vadose zone ultimately pollutes groundwater resources, and in some locations, has already damaged off-site environments. The most effective, and efficient, control of groundwater contamination is at the source. Permeable barriers are a proven effective technology for groundwater protection at contaminated sites; however, the high cost of adsorbants in these barriers limits their practicality. For general applications, a new less costly adsorbent is needed to realize the full potential of permeable barrier technology.Altex has identified an innovative technology for the production of Low-Cost Activated Carbon (LCAC), suitable for use in permeable barriers. The estimated cost to produce this new adsorbent is 65% less than the cost for similar commercial-grade products. Derived from negative cost municipal biosolids, LCAC is capable of adsorbing a broad range of organic pollutants. Depending on application requirements, LCAC is producible in either powdered, granular, or pelletized forms. For increased system economy, both granular and pelletized LCAC forms are regenerable. By any measure, LCAC performance is comparable to the performance of conventional activated carbon products.
Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, remediation, engineering, chemistry, EPA., Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Toxics, National Recommended Water Quality, Remediation, Fate & Transport, Environmental Chemistry, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Contaminated Sediments, Groundwater remediation, Market mechanisms, Hydrology, Environmental Engineering, control technologies, heavy metals, contaminated sediment, groundwater contamination, adsorbents, chemical contaminants, cost effective, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs:, soil sediment, soils, contaminated soil, PCB, granular activated carbon, groundwater plumes, fate and transport, groundwater, activated carbon, vadose zone, VOCs, soil and groundwater remediation, heavy metal contamination, soil and groudwater remediationProgress and Final Reports:
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.