APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE REMOVAL OF HIGHER AND LOWER VOLATILITY ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS FROM SOIL

摘要

An apparatus for the removal of higher andlower volatility organic contaminants from media such assoil including an externally heated screw conveyorhaving an inlet, an outlet and one or more solid coreflights, means for collecting and delivering mediacontaminated with higher and lower volatility organiccontaminants to the screw conveyor inlet, at least oneinfrared radiation source external to the screw conveyoradapted to heat the media in the screw conveyor to atemperature above which at least one of the contaminantsvolatilize, and means for venting volatilizedcontaminants from the screw conveyor. A continuousprocess for removing higher and lower volatility organiccontaminants from media such as soil including the stepsof providing a source of contaminated media, agitating,manipulating and transporting the contaminated media byuse of at least one screw conveyor having one or moresolid core flights, heating simultaneously thecontaminated media with a quantity of infrared radiationsufficient to volatilize at least one of the organiccontaminants as the contaminated media is agitated,manipulated and transported by the at least one solidcore screw conveyor, so that the organic contaminantsare volatilized and the media is decontaminated.