Abstract |
The CURE electrocoagulation system was evaluated for removal of low levels of the radionuclides uranium, plutonium, and americium as well as other contaminants in wastewater. Economic data from the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) demonstration are also presented, and the technology is compared to the nine criteria that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to select remedial alternatives for Super-fund sites. The CURE electrocoagulation technology was developed by General Environmental Corporation, Inc. (GEC), of Denver, Colorado. The technology induces the coagulation and precipitation of contaminants by a direct-current electrolytic process followed by settling with or without the addition of coagulation-inducing chemicals. Treated water is discharged from the system for reuse, disposal, or reinjection. Concentrated contaminants in the form of sludge are placed in drums for disposal or reclamation. The CURE technology was demonstrated under the SITE Program at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (formerly the Rocky Flats Plant) near Golden, Colorado. Approximately 4,500 gallons of wastewater containing low levels of the radionuclides uranium, plutonium, and americium were treated in August and September 1995. Water from the solar evaporation ponds was used in the demonstration. Six preruns, five optimization runs, and four demonstration runs were conducted over a 54-day period. Evaluation of the CURE electrocoagulation technology against the nine criteria used by the EPA in evaluating potential remediation alternatives indicates that the CURE system provides both long- and short-term protection of the environment, reduces contaminant mobility and volume, and presents few risks to the community or the environment. |