Superfund Research Program
Supercritical Fluid Technology for Remediation of PCB/PAH Contaminated Soils and Sediments
Project Leader: Lawrence L. Tavlarides (Syracuse University)
Grant Number: P42ES004913
Funding Period: 1995 - 2000
Project-Specific Links
- Project Summary
Project Summary (1995-2000)
The specific objectives of the project are to assess the technical feasibility of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) processes to remove and destroy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from waste landfill sites. The advantages of a supercritical process over other conventional waste treatment methods include enhanced solubility of organics at supercritical conditions, complete oxidation of organics (in the case of SCWO), simplicity of separation of pollutants from the solvent stream, and reduced energy costs in the processing. Further, the treated soil is not contaminated with any toxic solvent after processing.