Composting of soils/sediments and sludges containing toxic organics including high energy explosives. Final report.

摘要

Laboratory and pilot-scale experimentation were conducted to evaluate composting as an on-site treatment technology to remediate soils contaminated with hazardous waste at DOE's PANTEX Plant. Suspected contaminated sites within the PANTEX Plant were sampled and analyzed for explosives, other organics, and inorganic wastes. Soils in drainage ditches and playas at PANTEX Plant were found to be contaminated with low levels of explosives (including RDX, HMX, PETN and TATB). Additional sites previously used for solvent disposal were heavily contaminated with solvents and transformation products of the solvent, as well as explosives and by-products of explosives. Laboratory studies were conducted using (sup 14)C-labeled explosives and (sup 14)C-labeled diacetone alcohol contaminated soil loaded into horse manure/hay composts at three rates: 20, 30, and 40%(W/W). The composts were incubated for six weeks at approximately 60(degree)C with continuous aeration. All explosives degraded rapidly and were reduced to below detection limits within 3 weeks in the laboratory studies. (sup 14)C-degradates from (sup 14)C-RDX, (sup 14)C-HMX and (sup 14)C-TATB were largely limited to (sup 14)CO(sub 2) and unextracted residue in the compost. Volatile and non-volatile (sup 14)C-degradates were found to result from (sup 14)C-PETN breakdown, but these compounds were not identified. (sup 14)C-diacetone alcohol concentrations were significantly reduced during composting. However, most of the radioactivity was volatilized from the compost as non-(sup 14)CO(sub 2) degradates or as (sup 14)C-diacetone alcohol. Pilot scale composts loaded with explosives contaminated soil at 30% (W/W) with intermittent aeration were monitored over six weeks. Data from the pilot-scale study generally was in agreement with the laboratory studies. However, the (sup 14)C-labeled TATB degraded much faster than the unlabeled TATB. Some formulations of TATB may be more resistant to composting activity than others.