Apparatus for treatment of soils contaminated with organic pollutants

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention provides a process and apparatus for the treatment of soil contaminated with organic pollutants.
The process includes the steps of providing a supply of a gas-ozone mixture, treating the gas-ozone mixture with acid in a manner to promote the stability of ozone in the mixture, and applying the stabilized gas-ozone mixture to soil contaminated with organic compounds that are susceptible to reaction with ozone.
The soil may be treated in situ or excavated and treated in a chamber.
If in situ application is contemplated one or a plurality of wells may be drilled in the contaminated soil and the gas-ozone mixture injected in the wells.
A final neutralizing step may be included where a neutralizing chemical reacts with residual ozone remaining in the gas mixture prior to allowing the gas to vent to the atmosphere.
A general description of the apparatus useful for producing the stabilized gas-ozone mixture for treating soil contaminated with organics includes at least an ozonator (ozone generators adapted to receive an oxygen containing gas from a gas supply means, that generates ozone from oxygen in the gas to produce a gas-ozone mixture and ozone stabilizing means adapted to receive the gas-ozone mixture from the ozone generator and stabilize the mixture by contacting the mixture with an acid to produce a stabilized gas-ozone mixture.
In another embodiment the apparatus may include gas supply means adapted to supply gas containing oxygen to an ozone generator, and distribution means adapted to receive the stabilized gas-ozone mixture and distribute the mixture to the soil.
Another embodiment may optionally include a gas conditioning means that purifies and/or pressurizes the gas prior to treatment in the ozonator.
A further embodiment, may include gas neutralizing means for neutralizing residual ozone remaining in the gas after soil treatment.
A final embodiment includes distribution means for advantageously applying the gas-ozone mixture to the soil.
The distribution means may be designed for in situ treatment or for treatment in a chamber where the excavated soil has been placed