United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA 542-F-00-017
October 2000
www.epa.gov/tio
clu-in.org
4IEPA Potential Applicability of Assembled
Chemical Weapons Assessment
Technologies to RCRA Waste Streams
and Contaminated Media
Fact Sheet and Order Information
introduction
Under the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment
(ACWA) program, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
has established a process for identifying and demonstrating
alternatives to incineration for the demilitarization of
chemical weapons. Seven technologies used to treat
chemical weapon wastes have been identified by DoD under
this program (see next column). The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) prepared the report Potential
Applicability of Assembled Chemical Weapons
Assessment Technologies to RCRA Waste Streams and
Contaminated Media (EPA 542-R-00-004) to provide site
managers, technology users (including industry), technology
developers, and other interested parties with a better
understanding of the potential uses and markets for ACWA
and similar technologies.
Contents of Report
The report provides information about:
• The seven ACWA technologies, including available
information about technology performance and cost to
treat RCRA waste streams and contaminated media;
technology availability; the technologies' capability to
treat materials in solid, liquid, or gaseous phases; the
types of preprocessing that may be required; and general
information about the cost for use of the technologies.
• RCRA waste streams and contaminated media which
have constituents with chemical structures similar to
ACWA chemicals, and wastes currently treated by
incineration, as a potential market for the ACWA
technologies.
• Performance data on wastes that have been treated using
these technologies, including soil and groundwater
contaminated with a wide range of organic compounds
such as chlorinated solvents, PCBs, and pesticides; PCB-
contaminated oils; hydraulic fluids; and fuels.
Key findings of the report include:
• Two ACWA technologies currently are being used for
full-scale, commercial operations (Commodore's SET™
and Eco Logic's GPCR), and the others are under
development for use on a full-scale basis.
• The ACWA technologies have the capability to treat a
wide range of organic compounds, including chlorinated
solvents, PCBs, and pesticides in the liquid phase. Several
of the technologies also are capable of treating materials in
a solid or gaseous phase.
• The potential market for the ACWA technologies includes
a relatively large amount of wastes from hazardous waste
sites.
ACWA Technologies
The seven ACWA technologies are:
• AEA Technology PLC's SILVER II™ - electrochemical
oxidation - uses reactive silver that is created by applying
an electric current to a solution of nitric acid and silver
nitrate.
• AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) Inc.'s Immobilized Cell
Bioreactor™ - biological degradation - combines a high
surface area media with a support matrix in a bioreactor.
• Commodore Advanced Sciences, Inc.'s Solvated Electron
Technology™ - chemical reduction - uses solvated electron
solutions that consist of alkali or alkaline earth metals such
as sodium or calcium dissolved in liquid anhydrous
ammonia.
• Eco Logic Inc.'s Gas Phase Chemical Reduction
Technology - chemical reduction - uses hydrogen gas and
steam at elevated temperatures to reduce organic
compounds to lighter hydrocarbons such as methane.
• Foster Wheeler Development Corporation's Supercritical
Water Oxidation Technology - hydrothermal oxidation -
treats organic wastes at a combination of temperature and
pressure higher than the critical point of water, where the
wastes become highly soluble and function as a fuel.
• General Atomies' Supercritical Water Oxidation
Technology - hydrothermal oxidation - treats organic
wastes at a combination of temperature and pressure higher
than the critical point of water, where the wastes become
highly soluble and function as a fuel.
• Startech Environmental Corporation's Plasma Waste
Converter™ - thermal plasma - uses plasma gas which is
discharged within a chamber to produce very high
temperatures.
• A list of vendors with technologies similar to those
identified above is also included in the report, along with
summary information about the technology.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
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Environmental Protection Agency
National Service Center for
Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA542-F-00-017
October 2000
Potential Applicability of Assembled Chemical
Weapons Assessment Technologies to RCRA Waste
Streams and Contaminated Media
Fact Sheet and Order Information
Order Form
To order Potential Applicability of Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment Technologies to RCRA Waste Streams and
Contaminated Media (EPA 542-R-00-004) please call 1-800-490-9198 or complete this form and mail or fax it to:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419
Fax: (513)489-8695
Order on-line at
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