NEW SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESS FOR ORGANIC AND HEAVY METAL POLLUTANTS

摘要

Research on laboratory scale has been executed into the feasibility of a new solvent extraction process to treat fine granular clayey sediments polluted with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), mineral oil and heavy metals. It was shown that with a water/acetone (40%) mixture as extracting agent, to which a small amount of EDTA was added as chelating agent, besides PAH and mineral oil, also substantial amounts of heavy metals could be removed. This process combines the advantages of a water/acetone mixture as extracting agent for almost complete removal of PAH and mineral oil and for efficient separation of the sediment particles from the extraction phase with the advantage of chelating agents such as EDTA to remove heavy metals. It may be expected that this process can be further optimised to make it feasible for practical application.