&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Office of Emergency and Remedial Response Washington, DC 20460 Office of Research and Development Cincinnati, OH 45268 EPA/540/2-91/005 May 1991 Engineering Bulletin In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment Purpose Section 121 (b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Re- sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) mandates the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to select remedies that "utilize permanent solutions and alternative treatment technologies or resource recovery technologies to the maxi- mum extent practicable" and to prefer remedial actions in which treatment "permanently and significantly reduces the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous substances, pollut- ants and contaminants as a principal element." The Engi- neering Bulletins are a series of documents that summarize the latest information available on selected treatment and site remediation technologies and related issues. They provide summaries of and references for the latest information to help remedial project managers, on-scene coordinators, contrac- tors, and other site cleanup managers understand the type of data and site characteristics needed to evaluate a technology for potential applicability to their Superfund or other hazard- ous waste site. Those documents that describe individual treatment technologies focus on remedial investigation scoping needs. Addenda will be issued periodically to update the original bulletins. Abstract In situ steam extraction removes volatile and semivolatile hazardous contaminants from soil and groundwater without excavation of the hazardous waste. Waste constituents are removed in situ by the technology and are not actually treated. The use of steam enhances the stripping of volatile contami- nants from soil and can be used to displace contaminated groundwater under some conditions. The resultant con- densed liquid contaminants can be recycled or treated prior to disposal. The steam extraction process is applicable to organic wastes but has not been used for removing insoluble inorganics and metals. Steam is injected into the ground to raise the soil temperature and drive off volatile contaminants. Alternatively, steam can be injected to form a displacement front by steam condensation to displace groundwater. The contaminated liquid and steam condensate are then collected for further treatment. In situ steam extraction is a developing technology that has had limited use in the United States. In situ steam [reference number, page number] extraction is currently being considered as a component of the remedy for only one Superfund site, the San Fernando Valley (Area 1), California site [1]* [2]. However, a limited number of commercial-scale in situ steam extraction systems are in operation. Two types of systems are discussed in this document: the mobile system and the stationary system. The mobile system consists of a unit that volatilizes contami- nants in small areas in a sequential manner by injecting steam and hot air through rotating cutter blades that pass through the contaminated medium. The stationary system uses steam injection as a means to volatilize and displace contaminants from the undisturbed subsurface. Each system has specific applications; however, the lowest cost alternative will be de- termined by site-specific considerations. This bulletin provides information on the technology applicability, limitations, a description of the technology, types of residuals produced, site requirements, the latest performance data, the status of the technology, and sources for further information. Technology Applicability In situ steam extraction has been shown to be effective in treating soil and groundwater containing such contaminants as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including halogenated solvents and petroleum wastes. The technology has been shown to be effective for extracting soluble inorganics (i.e., acids, bases, salts, heavy metals) on a laboratory scale [3]. The presence of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) does not interfere with extraction of the VOCs [4, p. 12]. This process has been shown to be applicable for the removal of VOCs including chlorinated organic solvents [4, p. 9] [5, p. i], gasoline [6, p. 1265], and diesel [7, p. 506]. It has been shown to be particularly effective on alkanes and alkane- based alcohols such as octanol and butanol [8]. Steam extraction applies to less volatile compounds than ambient vacuum extraction systems. By increasing the tem- perature from initial conditions to the steam temperature, the vapor pressures of most contaminants will increase, causing them to become more volatile. Semivolatile components can volatilize at significant rates only if the temperature is increased [3, p. 3]. Steam extraction also may be used to remove low boiling point VOCs more efficiently. Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Table 1 RCRA Codes for Wastes Applicable to Treatment by In Situ Steam Extraction Spent Halogenated Solvents used in Degreasing FOOT Spent Halogenated Solvents F002 Spent Non-Halogenated Solvents F003 Spent Non-Halogenated Solvents F004 Spent Non-Halogenated Solvents F005 Table 2 Effectiveness of In Situ Steam Extraction on General Contaminant Groups for Soil and Groundwater 1 ?» 0 1 ! Reactive Contaminant Croups Halogenated volatiles Halogenated semivolatiles Nonhalogenated volatiles Nonhalogenated semivolatiles PCBs Pesticides Dioxins/Furans Organic cyanides Organic corrosives Volatile metals Nonvolatile metals Asbestos Radioactive materials norganic corrosives norganic cyanides Oxidizers teducers Effectiveness Mobile System Soil m T • V a a a a a a a a a a a a a Groundwate V T T T a a a a a a a a a a a a a Stationary System Soil/ Groundwater m T H T T T T T T T T a T T T V V m Demonstrated Effectiveness: Successful treatability test at some scale completed V Potential Effectiveness: Expert opinion that technology will work Q No Expected Effectiveness: Expert opinion that technology will not work Table 1 lists specific Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) wastes that are applicable to treatment by this technology. The effectiveness of the two steam extraction systems (mobile and stationary) on general contaminant groups for soil and groundwater is shown in Table 2. Ex- amples of constituents within contaminant groups are provided in Reference 9, " Technology Screening Guide for Treatment of CERCLA Soils and Sludges." Table 2 is based on the current available information or professional judgment where no in- formation was available. The proven effectiveness of the technology for a particular site or waste does not ensure that it will be effective at all sites or that the treatment efficiencies achieved will be acceptable at all sites. For the ratings used for this table, demonstrated effectiveness means that, based on treatability studies at some scale, the technology was effective for that particular contaminant and matrix. The ratings of potential effectiveness or no expected effective- ness are based upon expert judgment. Where potential effectiveness is indicated, the technology is believed capable of successfully treating the contaminant group in a particular matrix. When the technology is not applicable or will prob- ably not work for a particular combination of contaminant group and matrix, a no-expected-effectiveness rating is given. The table shows that the stationary system shows potential effectiveness for inorganic and reactive contaminants. This is only true if the compounds are soluble. Limitations Soil with high silt and clay content may become mal- leable and unstable when wet, potentially causing problems with support and mobility of the mobile steam extraction system. Remediation of low permeability soil (high clay content) requires longer treatment times [4, p. 8]. The soil must be penetrable by the augers and free of underground piping, wiring, tanks, and drums. Materials of this type must be relocated before treatment can commence. Surface and subsurface obstacles greater than 12 inches in diameter (e.g., rocks, concrete, wooden piles, trash, and metal) must be removed to avoid damage to the equipment. Substantial amounts of subsurface obstacles may preclude the use of a mobile system. A climate temperature range of 20-100°F is desirable for best operation of the mobile system [4, p. 18]. Mobile steam extraction systems can treat large con- taminated areas but are limited by the depth of treatment. One system that has been evaluated can treat to a depth of 30 feet. To be effective, the stationary steam extraction system requires a site with predominately medium- to high-perme- ability soil. Sites with homogeneous physical soil conditions are more amenable to the system. If impermeable lenses of contaminated soil exist, the stationary system may not reme- diate these areas to desired cleanup levels [5, p. 19]. How- ever, a combination of steam injection followed by vacuum extraction (drying) may be effective on sites with heteroge- neous soil conditions [10]. Steam extraction may be effective for remediation of contaminated groundwater near the source of contamination [5, p. 14 ] [10]. There may be residual soil contamination after applica- tion of in situ steam extraction. Study of a mobile system showed the average removal efficiency for volatile contami- nants was 85%; 15% of the volatile compound contamina- tion remained in the soil [4, p. 4]. If other organic or inorganic contamination exists, the cleaned soil may need subsequent treatment by some other technique (i.e., stabili- zation). In situ steam extraction may not remove SVOCs and in- organics effectively. The operational costs of steam extrac- tion are greater than ambient vacuum extraction, but may be offset by higher recovery and/or reduction in time re- quired to remediate the site due to more efficient removal of contaminants. Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- Figure 1 Schematic of the Mobile Steam Extraction System Kelly Bars Shroud Mixing Blades Spent Carbon Condensed Organics Collection Tank Cutter Blades In situ steam extraction requires boilers to generate steam and a sophisticated process to capture and treat extracted steam and contaminants. Because the mobile system is me- chanically complex its equipment may fail and shut down frequently; however, mechanical problems may be corrected fairly quickly. Equipment failure and shutdown are less fre- quent for the stationary system. The increase in soil temperature may adversely affect other soil properties such as microbial populations, although some microbial populations can withstand soil temperatures up to 140°F. Technology Description Figure 1 is a general schematic of a mobile steam extrac- tion system [4, p. 48]. A process tower supports and controls a pair of cutter blades which bore vertically through the soil. The cutter blades are rotated synchronously in opposite direc- tions during the treatment process to break up the soil and ensure through-flow of gases. Steam (at 400°F) and compressed air (at 275°F) are piped to nozzles located on the cutter blades Heat from the injected steam and hot air volatilizes the organics. A steel shroud covers the area of soil undergoing treatment. Suction produced by the blower keeps the area underneath the shroud at a vacuum to pull gases from the soil and to protect against leakage to the outside environment. The offgases are pulled by the blower from the shroud to the treatment train, where water and organics are removed by condensation in coolers. The air- stream is then treated by carbon adsorption, compressed, and returned to the soil being treated. Water is removed from the liquid stream with a gravity separator followed by batch distillation and carbon adsorption and is then recycled to a cooling tower. The condensed organics are collected and held for romoval and transportation. Mobile systems treat small areas of contamination until an entire site s remediated. The action of the cutter blades enables the process to treat low-permeability zones (high clay content) by breaking up the soil. Current systems treat blocks of soil measuring 7'4" x 4' by up to 30' deep. Figure 2 is a schematic of a stationary steam extraction system [5, p. 9]. High-quality steam is delivered through in- dividual valves and flow meters to the injection wells from the manifold. Gases and liquids are removed from the soil through the recovery wells. Gases flow through a condenser and into a separation tank where water and condensed gases are separated from the contaminant phase. Liquid organics are pumped from the separation tank through a meter and into a holding tank. The water may require treatment by carbon adsorption or another process to remove remaining contami- nants. Noncondensible gases are passed through activated carbon tanks where contaminants are adsorbed before the cleaned air is vented to the atmosphere. A vacuum pump maintains the subatmospheric pressure on the recovery well and drives the flow of recovered gases. Contaminated liquids are pumped out of the recovery well to a wastewater tank. Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- Figure 2 Process Schematic of the Stationary Steam Extraction System Clean Gas to Atmosphere Gas Spent Carbon Process Residuals At the conclusion of both processes, the contaminants are recovered as condensed organics in the produced water and on the spent carbon. Residual contamination will also remain in the soil. The recovered contaminants are tempo- rarily stored on site and may require analysis to determine the need for further treatment before recycling, reuse, or disposal. Separated, cleaned water is used as cooling tower makeup water in the mobile system. Also in this system, cleaned gas is heated and returned as hot air to the soil. Separated water from the stationary system must be treated to remove residual contaminants before disposal or reuse. The cleaned gas from this system is vented to the atmosphere. Both systems produce contaminated granular activated carbon from the gas cleaning. The carbon must be regenerated or disposed. There may be minor fugitive emissions of VOCs from the soil during treatment by the steam stripping systems and from the gas-phase carbon beds [4, p. 2]. Site Requirements Power and telephone lines or other overhead obstacles must be removed or rerouted to avoid conflict with the 30- foot treatment tower on the mobile steam extraction system. Access roads must be available for transporting the mobile system. Sufficient land area must be available around the identified treatment zone to maneuver the unit and to place support equipment and trailers. The area to be treated by the mobile steam extraction system must be capable of support- ing the treatment rig so that it does not sink or tip. The ground must be flat and gradable to less than 1% slope. A minimum treatment area of approximately 0.5 acre (20,000 Gas Liquid Water Recovered Liquid Contaminants ft2) is necessary for economical use of the mobile system. Rectangular shaped treatment areas are most efficient. The mobile system requires a water supply of at least 8 to 10 gpm at 30 psig. Power for the process can be provided by on- board diesel generators [4, p. 18]. Boilers that generate steam for the stationary steam ex- traction system use no. 2 fuel oil or other hydrocarbon fuels. Water and electricity must be available at the site. The site must have sufficient room for a drilling rig to install the injection and extraction wells and for steam generation and waste treatment equipment to be set up, as well as room for support equipment and trailers. Contaminated soils or waste materials are hazardous and their handling requires that a site safety plan be developed to provide for personnel protection and special handling mea- sures. Storage should be provided to hold the process prod- uct streams until they have been tested to determine their acceptability for disposal, reuse, or release. Depending on the site, a method to store waste that has been prepared for treatment may be necessary. Storage capacity will depend on waste volume. Onsite analytical equipment capable of determining site- specific organic compounds for performance assessment make the operation more efficient and provide better information for process control. Performance Data Toxic Treatments (USA) Inc. used a prototype of its mo- bile system to remediate a site in Los Angeles, California. The site soil had been contaminated by diesel and gasoline fuel —'^^^^^^"•^^•••^••^•^•^•^M Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- Table 3 Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons Removed by Toxic Treatments (USA) Inc. at Los Angeles, CA* Table 4 Demonstration Test Results for Volatiles Removed by Toxic Treatments (USA) Inc. [4] Calculated Value Mean Initial (mg/kg) 2222 Final (mg/kg) 191 Percent Removal 91 * This information is from vendor-published literature [7]; therefore, quality assurance has not been evaluated. from underground storage tanks. For this application, the steam stripping was augmented with potassium permanganate to promote oxidation of hydrocarbons in the highly contami- nated zones [7, p. 506]. Table 3 summarizes the results of the treatment by steam stripping. The level of petroleum hydro- carbons was reduced overall by an average of 91%. The mobile system was reported to have effectively reduced the level of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds found in the soil at a wide range of concentrations. However, the system's ability to remove the higher molecular weight, less volatile components of the diesel fuel was limited. Under the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program, Toxic Treatments demonstrated an average VOC removal rate of 85 percent for a test area of 12 soil blocks [4, p. 10] as shown in Table 4. The average VOC post- treatment concentration was 71 ppm; the cleanup level for the site was 100 ppm. The primary VOCs were trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and chlorobenzene. The test achieved a treatment rate of 3 cu. yds./hr. in soils having high clay con- tent and containing some high-boiling-point VOCs. Toxic Treatments obtained similar results in tests conducted throughout the site; baseline testing demonstrated an aver- age post-treatment concentration of 61 ppm. The mobile technology also demonstrated the ability to diminish the level of SVOCs by approximately 50%, as shown in Table 5, although the fate of these SVOCs could not be determined [4, p. 45]. These tests were conducted on contamination in the unsatur- ated zone. A follow-up test was conducted on six soil blocks where treatment extended into the saturated zone. Pre- treatment data from the vendor indicated significant VOC contamination in this area. Post-treatment results showed that the average level of VOC contamination in the unsaturated zone was reduced to 53 ppm. Ketones (specifically acetone, 2-methyl-4-pentanone, and 2-butanone) were found to be the primary contaminants in the post-treatment soil. Data from the vendor indicated that similar reduction of VOCs occurred in the saturated zone. The stationary steam extraction system using steam in- jection alone decreased soil contaminant concentrations by 90 percent in a recent pilot study [5]. High concentrations of individual contaminants were found in a low permeability zone by use of temperature logs. The residual high contami- nant concentrations are thought to have been caused by: 1) retention of highly contaminated steam condensate found ahead of the condensation front in the dry, low-permeability zones and 2) the decreased evaporation rate of the high- boiling-point compounds due to the high water content in the low permeability zones [5, p. 19]. This issue is currently under study at the University of California, Berkeley [10]. Experimental testing has shown that a combination of steam 12-Block Test Area Pre- Treatment (w/g) 54 28 642 444 850 421 788* 479 1133 431 283 153 Post- Treatment fog/g) 14 12 29 34 82 145 61 64 104 196 60 56 Percent Removal 73 56 96 92 90 65 92 87 91 54 79 64 Block Number A-25-e A-26-e A-27-e A-28-e A-29-e A-30-e A-31-e A-32-e A-33-e A-34-e A-35-e A-36-e " Only analyses from two of the three sample cores taken were available. Table 5 Demonstration Test Results for Semivolatiles Removed by Toxic Treatments (USA) Inc. [4] 12-Block Test Area Block Number A-25-e A-26-e A-27-e A-28-e A-29-e A-30-e A-31-e A-32-e A-33-e A-34-e A-35-e A-36-e Pre- Treatment fag/g) 595 1117 1403 1040 1310 1073 781 994 896 698 577 336 Post- Treatment fcg/g) 82 172 439 576 726 818 610 49 763 163 192 314 Percent Removal 86 85 69 45 45 24 22 95 15 77 67 7 Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- injection and vacuum extraction can effectively remove vola- tile contaminants from a heterogeneous soil type [10]. Steam injection followed by vacuum extraction produces an effec- tive drying mechanism. The process achieves greater con- taminant removals by enhancing the vapor flow from low- to high-permeability regions. Performance data may be forthcoming from full-scale stationary system steam extraction projects being conducted by Solvent Service, Inc. and Hydro-Fluent, Inc. Data from laboratory-scale studies are also available [6] [3]. RCRA Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) that require treat- ment of wastes to best demonstrated available technology (BOAT) levels prior to land disposal may sometimes be deter- mined to be applicable or relevant and appropriate require- ments for CERCLA response actions. The in situ steam extrac- tion technology produces liquid contaminants which may be recyclable or may require treatment to meet treatment levels set by BOAT. A common approach to treating liquid waste may be to use other treatment techniques in series with in situ steam extraction. Technology Status In situ extraction is being considered as a component of the selected remedy for the San Fernando Valley (Area 1) site in Burbank, California. The Area 1 site consists of an aquifer contaminated with VOCs, including TCE and PCE [1, p.145]. Toxic Treatments' mobile steam extraction technology (Detoxifier™) was used in 1986 to remediate 4,700 cu. yds. of soil contaminated with diesel fuel at the Pacific Commerce Center site in Los Angeles, California [7, p. 506]. In 1987, Toxic Treatments' mobile steam extraction sys- tem was selected as the remedial action to clean up approxi- mately 8,700 cu. yds. of soil contaminated with VOCs and SVOCs at the GATX Annex Terminal site in San Pedro, California [11, p. 1-1]. Treatability testing of the technology at the site has'been underway to validate its performance prior to full site remediation. This system also has been evaluated under the SITE program at the site in San Pedro, California. Toxic Treatments expects to have a second generation Detoxifier™ available soon, which will be capable of operating on grades up to 5 percent. For the mobile technology, the most significant factor influencing cost is the time of treatment or treatment rate. Treatment rate is influenced primarily by the soil type (soils with higher clay content require longer treatment times), the waste type, and the on-line efficiency. Cost estimates for this technology are strongly dependent on the treatment rate and range. A SITE demo indicated costs of $111 -317/cu. yd. (for 10 and 3 cu. yd. treatment rates, respectively). These costs are based on a 70% on-line efficiency [4, p. 28]. Solvent Service, Inc. is using and testing its first full-scale stationary Steam Injection Vapor Extraction (SIVE) system at its San Jose, California, facility for remediation to a depth of 20 feet of up to 41,000 cu. yds. of soil contaminated with numerous organic solvents [5, p. 3] [10]. Solvent Service hopes to make the SIVE system available for other applications in the future. The system consists of injection and extraction wells and a gas and liquid treatment process. Equipment for steam generation and extraction and contaminated gas/liquid treatment are trailer mounted. Hydro-Fluent, Inc. is designing and constructing its first full-scale stationary steam extraction system to be used in Huntington Beach, California for recovery of 1 35,000 gallons of diesel fuel in soil to a depth of 40 feet at the Rainbow Disposal, Nichols Avenue site [12]. Bench and pilot-scale studies have been conducted. For the stationary steam extraction system, the most significant factor influencing cost is the number of wells re- quired per unit area, which is related to the depth of con- tamination and soil permeability. Shallow contamination requires lower operating pressures to prevent soil fracturing, and wells are placed closer together. Deeper contamination allows higher operating pressures and greater well spacing; therefore, fewer wells and lower capital cost. Cost estimates for this technology range from about $50-300/cu. yd., de- pending on site characteristics [10]. EPA Contact Technology-specific questions regarding in situ steam extraction may be directed to: Michael Gruenfeld U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Releases Control Branch Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory 2890 Woodbridge Avenue Building 10(MS-104) Edison, N) 08837 FTS 340 6625 (908)321-6625 Acknowledgments This bulletin was prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL), Cincinnati, Ohio, by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) un- der contract No. 68-C8-0062. Mr. Eugene Harris served as the EPA Technical Project Monitor. Mr. Gary Baker was SAIC's Work Assignment Manager. This bulletin was authored by Mr. Kyle Cook of SAIC. The project team included Mr. Jim Rawe and Mr. joe Tillman of SAIC. The author is especially grateful to Mr. Bob Hillger and Dr. John Brugger of EPA, RREL, who have contributed significantly by serving as technical consultants during the development of this document. The following other Agency and contractor personnel have contributed their time and comments by participating in the expert review meetings and/or peer reviewing the docu- ment: Mr. Clyde Dial Mr. Vic Engleman Mr. Trevor Jackson Mr. Lyle Johnson Dr. Kent Udell SAIC SAIC SAIC Western Research Institute Udell Technologies Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- /*" REFERENCES 1. ROD Annual Report, FY 1989. EPA/540/8-90/006, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990. 2. Personal Communications with the Regional Project Manager, April, 1991. 3. 4. Udell, K.S., and L.D. Stewart. Combined Steam Injection and Vacuum Extraction for Aquifer Cleanup. Presented at Conference of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1990. Applications Analysis Report—Toxic Treatments' In Situ Steam/Hot-Air Stripping Technology, San Diego, CA. Report to be published, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990. (SITE Report). Udell, Kent S., and L. D. Stewart. Field Study of In Situ Steam Injection and Vacuum Extraction for Recovery of Volatile Organic Solvents. University of California Berkeley-SEEHRL Report No. 89-2, June 1989. Udell, K. S., j. R. Hunt, and N. Sitar. Nonaqueous Phase Liquid Transport and Cleanup 2. Experimental Studies. Water Resources Research, 24 (8): 1259-1269, 1988. 8 La Mori, Phillip N. and M. Ridosh. In Situ Treatment Process for Removal of Volatile Hydrocarbons from Soils: Results of Prototype Test. EPA/600/9-87/018F, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1987. Lord, A.E., Jr., R.M. Koerner, D.E. Hullings, and J.E. Brugger. Laboratory Studies of Vacuum-Assisted Steam Stripping of Organic Contaminants from Soil. Presented at the 15th Annual Research Symposium: Remedial Action, Treatment, and Disposal of Hazardous Waste. EPA/600/9-90/006, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990. 9. Technology Screening Guide for Treatment of CERCLA Soils and Sludges. EPA/540/2-88/004, U.S. Environmen- tal Protection Agency, 1988. 10. Udell, Kent S. Personal Communication. July 23, 1990. 11. Harding Lawson Associates, Remedial Design, Annex Terminal Site, San Pedro, California. Prepared for GATX Terminals Corporation, 1987. Toxic Cleanup Going Underground. The Orange County Register, June 25, 1990, pp. A1 and A14. 12 Engineering Bulletin: In Situ Steam Extraction Treatment ------- |