United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Research and Development
Washington DC 20460
EPA/600/M-91/008
March 1991
Vol. 4
ORD ENGINEERING
HIGHLIGHTS
A bi-monthly compilation of EPA's Office of Research and Development engineering research activities
and results and related research activities in pollution prevention and mitigation. To discuss any of these
activities, contact the ORD lead person listed below. For general information, contact Darlenc Williams of
the Office of Technology Transfer and Regulatory Support, Phone : FTS 382-7891.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Mining Waste Treatment Pilot Begins in Montana
The United States Congress recently appropriated
$3,500,000 to establish a pilot program for treating mining
wastes in Butte, Montana. RREL will lead the
implementation of the project which will involve an
investigation and evaluation of promising new technologies
for mining waste treatment. Heavy metals contamination,
such as lead in soils, waste piles, and other areas, were
identified as a continuing threat to public health and the
environment in the western U.S. In establishing the pilot
program, EPA was directed to collaborate with DOE's current
program in Butte and with The College of Mineral Sciences
and Technology (Montana Tech). The mining wastes present
in the Butte area have had a negative impact on the
environment and a large portion of the mined area has been
designated as the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund site,
48th on the 1990 National Priority List. (Jonathan Herrmann,
RREL, FTS 684-7839)
New Technique Developed For On-Sile Monitoring at
Superfund Sites
ORD has developed a new portable monitoring technique
for hazardous waste contamination at Superfund sites that will
allow rapid and cost effective screening to determine the
extent of contamination and the effectiveness of cleanup
procedures. The technique detects nitroaromatics in ground
water, soil, and human blood serum using systems of
antibodies and proteins that operate in the same manner as the
over-the-counter pregnancy test kit. (Nitroaromatics are used
in the manufacture of plastics, pesticides, and explosives such
as TNT.)
This method, widely used by immunologists to detect
diseases and other conditions in humans, has been refined to
allow scientists to detect amounts as small as one part per
billion of important drugs, herbicides, and pesticides. The
sensitivity of the analysis, called an immunoassay, is
comparable to the analyses performed with more sensitive
instruments usually found in commercial analytical
laboratories. This immunoassay can be done at a fraction of
the cost of commercial laboratory testing, $2.50 per analysis
as compared to hundreds of dollars. It is also very portable
thereby allowing tests to be performed in the field right at the
site of contamination. The monitoring technique is being
evaluated and field tested, and efforts will be made to
commercially produce the test kit. (Jeanette Van Emon,
EMSL-LV, FTS 545-2154)
Organics Separation Process Slated for SITE Demonstration
In January 1991, the DchyroTcch Carver-Green fie Id
process was installed at the RREL Edison, NJ facility. It is
undergoing shakedown and optimi/alion tests prior to a SITE
demonstration of the process during the summer of 1991. The
Carver-Greenfield process is a separation process that uses
food grade oil to extract organic contamination from soils and
sludges. Evaporation, centrifugalion, and distillation arc also
used to completely separate multiphase wastes such as soils
and sludges into their constituent solid, aqueous and organic
phases. This type of separation will facilitate the ultimate
treatment of each of the three phases, thus allowing a more
complete cleanup of previously hard to treat waste.
The process was accepted into the SITE program in 1989
and is scheduled for demonstration at the PAB Oil Site in
Abbeyvillc, LA. DchydroTcch Corporation of East Hanover,
NJ, has extensively refurbished their existing field unit in
anticipation of this demonstration. Since they arc a relatively
small company, DchydroTcch docs not currently have a
facility in which to test their newly renovated process. In
order to provide them with a convenient location in which to
complete this very important testing, EPA has agreed to allow
them to temporarily install their equipment at the Edison, NJ
facility. (Hugh Masters, RREL-Edison, FTS 340-6678)
Screening Level Trealability Protocols Developed
RREL has developed screening level trcatabihty protocols
for remedy screening programs. These protocols will provide
detailed procedures for laboratory technicians affording
greater testing uniformity. Protocols for the first two
technologies, soil washing and in-situ soil vapor extraction,
are complete. Protocols for soil flushing, in-situ steam
stripping, and solvent extraction technologies will follow.
Evaluations of the protocols are scheduled for this spring.
(Michael Borst, RREL-Edison, FTS 340-6631)
Incineration Evaluated for Reducing K088 Listed Waste
The EPA is under Congressional mandate to reduce the
volume and/or loxicity of many listed hazardous wastes.
K088, spent pot liners from the primary reduction of
aluminum, is a listed waste. Incineration has been identified
as a method to reduce the concentration of polynuclcar
aromatic compounds contained in the waste as well as the
elevated cyanide levels. Recently, RREL's Incineration
Research Facility (IRF) was used to conduct the evaluation of
incineration for K088 as part of the Best Demonstrated
Printed on Recycled P
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Available Treatment Program for listed wastes. The specific
objectives of the incineration tests are to completely
characterize the composition of the feed and incineration
residuals in terms of hazardous components and determine the
applicability of incineration as a treatment technology for
K088 waste. Additional research will be conducted to compare
the cyanide data (K088) to the laboratory data collected in
conjunction with RREL's Incinerability Index model
development. (Robert Thurnau, RREL, FTS 684-7692)
Hydraulic Fracturing Sucessfully Demonstrated at Xerox Site
A demonstration of hydraulic fracturing of subsurface soils
was successfully conducted by RREL in clean soils adjacent to
the contaminated soil at the Xerox Corporation site in Chicago,
IL. Six fractures were created at one borehole, with depths
ranging from 6 to 15 feet. The fractures, which were filled with
coarse sand, were up to 20 feet long and 0.2 inch thick.
Hydraulic fracturing at a hazardous waste site will improve the
rate of recovery of volatile materials and increase the radius of
influence of recovery wells, resulting in lower cost and more
rapid clean-up at the site. Based on the results, the remedial
contractor for Xerox, in conjunction with RREL, will conduct
a further pilot scale demonstration of hydraulic fracturing to
enhance vapor extraction in a portion of the contaminated
soils. (Herb Pahrcn, RREL, FTS 684-7874)
Technical Assistance Provided to Clear Creek, Colorado
Superfund Site
Environmental problems associated with acid mine drainage
and metals leaching from tailings and other mine wastes are
major concerns at the Clear Creek Superfund Site in Denver,
CO. RREL is providing technical assistance to Region VIII
for remedial technology selection and evaluation of the effect
of remediating the mine drainage on the overall water quality
of Clear Creek. Through a jointly funded effort with the
Region, RREL and its contractor will develop data on
relationships between metal species and the observed in-slream
loxicity; including chemical manipulations that may reduce
bioavailable metals in the stream; determine the role of diffuse
metal loads in preventing improvements in water quality; and
determine the optimum chemical conditions in the stream and
point source discharges to alleviate stream toxicity.
In the second phase of the project, scientists will examine
ihc limitations of the WASP4 model to accurately predict
improvements in water quality and the necessary model inputs
to improve predictability under changes in major ion and toxic
metals transformations. In addition, the effectiveness of
additional remedial alternatives will be analyzed and a
monitoring program for in-strcam biological conditions will be
established. (Ed Bates, RREL, FTS 684-7774)
NET AC Workshop Looks at R&D Commercialization
Under the auspices of OEETD, the National Technology
Applications Corporation (NETAC) conducted a workshop for
the commercialization of innovative environmental
technologies as part of the Second International Symposium on
Field Screening Methods for Hazardous Waste and Toxic
Chemicals. The Symposium was sponsored by a variety of
Federal agencies including EPA and was hosted by EMSL-LV.
The NETAC Workshop was designed to provide the
technology developers an overview of the environmental
industry, a model of the commercialization process, the
impediments and barriers to timely and orderly development,
and critical technical and business success factors that must be
concurrently addressed. Sixty-eight registrants participated in
the workshop and several firms indicated an interest in
exploring ways to cooperate with EPA and NETAC. NETAC
is a product of a four-year cooperative agreement between
OEETD and the University of Pittsburgh Trust, and was
established to catalyze diffusion and commercialization of
federal and private sector environmental research and
development. (Michael Mastracci, OEETD, FTS 475-8933)
START Team Assists Region II Carlstadt, NJ Site
Technical assistance is being provided by RREL's
Superfund Technical Assistance Response Team (START) to
the S.C.P. Carlstadt, NJ site. The S.C.P. Carlstadt site is a
six-acre, inactive chemical waste processing site. Two
treatability studies, incineration and material handling, pertain
to the selection of remedies for the fill material of the first
operable unit at the site. The contamination of concern here is
a mixture of heavy metals with volatile and semivolatile
organics.
The incineration treatability study is being conducted at
the Incineration Research Facility (IRF), in Arkansas. The
material handling treatability study to control VOC emissions
from soil excavation consists of two parts. The first part,
conducted at RREL in Cincinnati, is a development of a
general method to evaluate a potential for a volatile release
during excavation. The second part, conducted at RREL's
Edison, New Jersey facility, is the selection of methods to
control VOC emissions at this site. (Richard Koustas,
RREL-Edison,FTS 340-6898)
BIOREMEDIATION
Controlling Organics Stripped From Hazardous Waste Liquid
Streams or Contaminated Soil
The biodegradation of gaseous volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) by microorganisms in a packed bed filter (biofilter) is
a promising technology for controlling organics stripped from
hazardous waste liquid streams or contaminated soils. RREL
is funding and providing technical advice on a University oi'
Cincinnati (UC) project that is evaluating this concept.
The most successful of the four biofilters being operated
by UC is packed with granular activated carbon (GAC) and is
being maintained aerobically. Following the recent discovery
and correction of a nutrient limiting condition and other
minor barriers, significant quantities (>85%) of three test
compounds (TCE, methylene chloride, and toluene) are
biodegrading at gas flow detention times of several minutes.
Operational difficulties are continuing to be resolved for the
aerobic biofilter, but, overall, the technology appears to hold
significant potential for eventual application to a broad range
of hazardous waste gaseous VOC treatment situations. An
additional aerobic biofilter will go on line in the near future
that will be fed with additional gaseous compounds of
petroleum derivation. It will be packed with an inorganic
ceramic material that is non-adsorptive and will hopefully
resolve some of the operational problems (primarily excessive
biogrovvth) experienced with the GAC unit. (Steven
Safferrnan, RREL, FTS 684-7350).
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Results of Bioremediation at Alaska Oil Spill
A bioremediation experiment was conducted which
consisted of setting up treatment plots in a randomized
complete block design replicated fourfold on Disk Island in
Prince William Sound. Samples were collected during four
nine-day intervals and analyzed for changes in oil residue
weight, total resolvable alkanes, individual alkanes, and oil
degrader numbers. Data were evaluated by analysis of
variance using Statistical Analysis System software. Results
indicated no statistically significant differences at the 5%
significance level among the four treatments in the 27 day
time period of the demonstration. Although the oil residue
weight was high to begin with (approximately 3500 mg/kg of
sediment), the total resolvable alkane hydrocarbons comprised
less than 0.5% of the total oil mass, indicating the
contamination remaining on Disk Island consists mostly of
poorly degradable tar and asphalt. This suggests that
substantially more time must be given to the evaluation of
bioremediation of highly weathered crude oil before a proper
conclusion is possible regarding enhancement either by
nutrient application or microbial product inoculation. (Albert
Venosa, RREL, FTS 684-7668)
POLLUTION PREVENTION
ORD Conducts Waste Minimization Assessment
An ORD team recently completed a waste minimization
assessment at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The
assessment team examined all production processes for stamps
and currency. Of particular concern was the generation of ink
sludges from intaglio, a printmaking process used to prevent
counterfeiting money that wastes over 80% of the ink used.
Waste minimization options will be proposed based on an
analysis of operational feasibility and economic viability In
April, the final report will be available which will summarize
the activities examined at the Bureau and propose waste
minimization options. These options will be evaluated for
their economic viability, and operational feasibility. (Kenneth
R. Stone, RREL, FTS 684-7474).
New Industry-Specific Pollution Prevention Guides To Be
Developed
In January, 1991, RREL initiated the development of
pollution prevention guides for the following industries and
commercial sectors: metal finishing, thermal metal working,
non-agricultural pesticide applicators, building construction
and trade, and mechanical equipment repair. Scheduled for
publication by September, 1991, the guides will be the newest
addition to the popular industry-specific pollution prevention
guide series. (Teresa Harten (RREL) FTS 684-7565).
AIR
Ozone Depleting Halon-1301 Alternatives Sought
AEERL recently initiated a joint project with the North
Slope oil companies and the New Mexico Engineering
Research Institute (NMERI) to investigate new chemicals
which may serve as alternatives to the stratospheric
ozone-depleting Halon-1301, currently used as a fire
extinguisher. On the North Slope of Alaska, oil and gas
production facilities are enclosed due to the extreme cold
temperatures. These facilities house machinery and piping
used to route and process 2.3 million barrels of oil each day.
With this much oil and gas being handled indoors, a
substantial risk of fire or explosion exists. A chemical called
Halon-1301, is used to prevent explosions or fires from
occurring in these facilities. However, the 1990 amendments
to the U.S. Clean Air Act call for a virtual phascout of Halon
production by the end of this decade due to its ability to
destroy stratospheric ozone. No other proven methods exist
besides Halon-1301 that can provide adequate protection of
the North Slope oil production facilities. In collaboration with
the other partners, AEERL researchers will simulate North
Slope-type fire and explosion scenarios in the laboratory;
judge the behavior of the candidate alternatives; and make
recommendations on replacement chemicals, some of which
have been synthesized in the laboratory under other AEERL
cooperative agreements. (N. Dean Smith, AEERL, FTS
629-2708)
Fuel Cells Tested for Electricity Production from Methane
Landfills are a major source of methane, a significant global
warming gas. AEERL recently awarded a contract to
International Fuel Cells Corporation (IFC) to conduct a
demonstration for operating a 200 kW commercially available
phosphoric acid fuel cell on landfill gas. The objective is to
reduce landfill methane emissions and produce electricity as a
by-product. Fuel cells arc potentially superior technology
when compared to commonly used technologies (boilers,
internal combustion engines, gas turbines, and flares), because
they are both a highly efficient and environmentally clean
means of converting landfill gas to electricity and clean heal.
However, technical and economic questions remain as to their
ability to utilize landfill gas. This project will answer those
questions. The one-year evaluation will document the amount
of electricity produced, the availability factor, the efficiency
factor, maintenance and operator requirements. (Ronald
Spiegel, AEERL, FTS 629-7542)
Remote Sensing of Vehicle Emissions
Las Vegas, Nevada was the site of recent research using
remote sensing to monitor vehicular air pollution emissions.
An innovative instrument developed at the University of
Denver, allows the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon (CO
and HC) emissions of vehicles to be monitored in a fraction of
a second as they pass through an infrared light beam directed
across the street. Each measurement is documented on a video
tape that includes an image of the back of the vehicle being
monitored (including license plate). This study involved
EMSL-LV, Clark County (Nevada) Air Pollution Control
District, the Nevada State Department of Motor Vehicles, the
Southern Nevada Community College and the Department of
Transportation.
The study consisted of three separate monitoring projects.
The first was an investigation of the effects of minor repair
and tuneups on emissions. The second project was designed
to evaluate the effectiveness of oxygenated fuel for CO
emission reduction by measuring emissions from the influx
and exit of a substantial number of tourists at the
California-Nevada state line. Preliminary data indicates a
significant difference between the vehicles coming from
California than those leaving Las Vegas. The third project was
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a comparison of emissions from fully warmed vehicles to the
same cold start vehicles. Final results of the study are
expected by the end of the summer. The Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 provide for the use of remote sensing
technology for mobile source emissions monitoring. This
work will help identify applications and also help in the
evaluation of the use of alternative fuels. EMSL-LV
involvement in this project began in FY-89 as an Innovative
Research project. (Marc Pitchford, EMSL-LV, FTS
545-2363)
Innovative Paint Spray Booth Technology for Ozone
Attainment
AEERL scientists have designed a paint spray booth for
both military and industrial spray painting operations
worldwide. The design allows for the significant reduction of
volatile organic compound emissions and permits a 50%
reduction in the volume of flow that must be controlled. Since
the reduced volume of flow will significantly reduce the
capital and operating costs of add-on pollution control for
paint spray booths, it is expected that widespread use of the
design will occur in the affected industry, having a potentially
great impact on the ozone non-attainment problem. A patent
application has been filed for this technology. (Charles H.
Darvin, AEERL, FTS 629-1766)
Low Cost Technology Demonstrated For S02 Control
ORD has successfully demonstrated a low cost SO2
removal process for power plants. The demonstration, in
cooperation with the Ohio Coal Development Office, the Ohio
Edison Company, and Babcox and Wilcox, achieved 50%
removal of SO2. The process, called E-SOx, injects an
alkaline slurry into a modified existing electrostatic
precipitator. Because of low capital costs, E-SOx is
considered to be one of the least expensive methods of
controlling SO2. Its low cost and simplicity make it an
attractive candidate for use in older power plants and for
adoption in such areas as Eastern Europe, where 50% removal
of SO2 would be a substantial improvement. (Louis S. Hovis,
AEERL, FTS 629-3374)
International Task Force Reports on VOC Controls and
Ozone Abatement
The Economic Commission on Europe (ECE ) Task Force
on volatile organic compound (VOC) Control Technology
recently completed its report on the technical and economic
viability of an array of VOC control options. The conclusions
and recommendations of the Task Force will guide the
multi-national effort to control VOC emissions and reduce
tropospheric ozone concentrations worldwide. Engineers from
AEERL have worked extensively with the Task Force to
ensure that the U.S. approach for ozone abatement using Best
Available Control Technology, Lowest Achievable Emission
Rate for new sources, and Reasonably Available Control
Technology for existing sources is represented in the technical
report. They were also instrumental in including other issues
of concern to the U. S., such as the role of biogenic emissions
and NOx in ozone formation; the assessment of the control
effectiveness of existing control technologies on major
sources, and the improvement of existing emissions
inventories. The VOC Control Protocol will be signed by 16
nations, including the U. S., in November 1991. (Wade H.
Ponder, AEERL, FTS 629-2818)
Global Inventory of VOC Emissions Published
Global atmospheric models for ozone require, as one
input, an emissions inventory of reactive volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). AEERL has published a report that
(EPA-600/8-91-002, January 1991) provides a global
inventory for each of seven pollutant groups—paraffins,
olefins, aromatics [benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX)],
formaldehyde, other aldehydes, other aromatics, and
marginally reactive compounds. AEERL researchers
identified the major anthropogenic sources of VOC emissions
in the U.S. and grouped them into categories according to:
development of U.S. emission factors; multiplication of the
U.S. emission factors by production/consumption statistics
for other countries; and geographic distribution of the
emissions. The study shows total global anthropogenic
emissions of about 121 million tons of VOC per year with the
U.S. the largest emitter with 21 percent of the total. Fuel
wood combustion and tropical grassland burning are the
largest sources, accounting for over 35 percent of global
VOC emissions. (Julian Jones, AEERL, FTS 629-2489)
WATER
Research on Small Drinking Water Systems Discussed With
Region III
Region III and the state of West Virginia have requested
help for their several hundred small drinking water systems.
A small drinking water system is defined as serving less than
100 connections. A meeting to discuss the feasibility of
developing a research effort to help small drinking water
systems (micro-systems) to meet existing and pending
federal regulations was held in Charleston, WV. Members of
RREL presented possible research directions. Representatives
from Region III, WV State Health Department, American
Water Works Service Company, WV- American Water
Company, and American Water Works Association Small
Systems Committee discussed areas of concern and suggested
approaches to the research effort. RREL will be developing a
research plan for comment that will include a total package to
help micro-systems, including: liability, customer acceptance,
treatment efficiency, operation and maintenance, and cost.
This research will include a concept on "Electronic Circuit
Rider" control of small systems. (Ben Lykins, RREL, FTS
684-7460)
Municipal Technology Transfer Workshop
EPA recently held a Municipal Technology Transfer
Workshop, at which RREL provided an overview of
promising innovative and alternative technologies which they
have evaluated. Information was provided on state-of-the-art
small community technologies, stormwater and sludge
management regulations, ultraviolet light disinfection,
upgrading technologies and toxic compound removal in
treatment facilities. The topics selected as a result of a
survey that polled state, local, and private entities in the
region on municpal technology topics. The conference
attendance exceeded 300 people, indicating the level of
interest in wastewater engineering technology. (James
Kreissl, RREL, FTS 684-7611)
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