Abstract |
The remediation of lead contaminated soil at Superfund and urban soil is a serious concern, given the grave effects of lead exposure and the pervasive nature of the threat. The lead species of interest are elemental lead, lead sulfate, basic carbonate of lead and lead dioxide. These species were solubilized in a three step process, using pure chemicals and the total lead was recovered as lead sulfate. Bench scale experiment were done using a soil that was dosed with varying amounts of the contaminants (Total lead from 1,000 to 10,000 ppm.). Better than 80% of the contaminants was recovered as lead sulfate, using the three step process. The treated soil passed the TCLP test with 3.0 ppm of lead, showing that it could be redeposited on site. A pilot plant scale-up is being explored. |