xvEPA
                 United States
                 Environmental Protection
                 Agency
                 Solid Waste and
                 Emergency Response
                 5403W
EPA510-F-93-024
October 1993
Soil  Remediation  For
UST Sites
On-Site  Low
Temperature Thermal
Desorption
                   Low temperature thermal desorption is a technique
                   for removing contaminants from large volumes
                 (greater than 1,000 cubic yards) of soil The technique
                 heats contaminated soil to relatively low temperatures
                 (200-1,000°F). The heat causes contaminants to vaporize
                 so that they can be treated with air emissions treatment
                 systems.

                 On-site thermal treatment is most effective on soil that
                 contains high levels of hydrocarbons. It requires less time
                 than bioremediation or soil vapor extraction (SVE). On-site
                 thermal treatment can be implemented rapidly and works
                 quickly—within six to eight weeks—at a relatively low cost.
                   Petroleum Types And Constituents

                   • All types of petroleum products

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Oil-Site Low Temperature Thermal Desorption
Advantages
Limitations
System
Components
Wastestream
Treatment
Parameters to
Monitor1
Cleanup Levels
and Timing2
Costs3
• Rapid to implement
• Minimizes long-term liability
• Can reuse some types of soil for backfill
• Expensive for soil with high moisture or day content
• Might require air discharge permits
• Excavation equipment
• Sorting and sizing equipment
• Rotary kiln
• Off gas treatment equipment
• Air emissions equipment
• Contaminant concentrations in pre- and post-treatment
soil
• Can excavate to cleanup standards
• >99% removal efficiency
• Typically completed in 6 to 8 weeks
• For an average site4, $60,000 to $100,000 ($60 to
$100/cu yd)
'"Parameters to monitor" are for performance purposes only; compliance monitoring parameters vary by state.
^Ciearup standards are determined by the state.
^Costs include equydHfln^ and operation and martenance.
4An "average sW assumes mitral delays h corrective action and a moderate^ heterogeneous and pemieeite subsurface.

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