Process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants

Abstract

The present invention relates to processes for reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants. The present invention provides processes for reducing the environmental effectiveness of one or more environmental pollutants in solids, liquids, and combinations of solids and liquids.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application 201980030354.1, filed on May 3, 2019, entitled "A process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the remediation of environmental pollutants to reduce their environmental effectiveness. Background Technology

[0003] Many pollutants are known to be toxic to humans and the environment. One known environmental pollutant, mercury, has been listed as a priority hazardous substance by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The National Priorities List (NPL), maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lists numerous sites contaminated with mercury. These sites contain a variety of contaminated substances, including solids (such as soil, debris, and waste), liquids (such as groundwater, lakes, and ponds), and combinations of solids and liquids (such as sludge, slurry, and sediment). Most of these sites have not yet been decontaminated to remove mercury. Unacceptable levels of mercury or mercury compounds may also be present at sites not listed in the USNPL. Environmental pollutants other than mercury have also raised similar concerns.

[0004] Mercury pollution can originate from a variety of sources, such as mining and ore processing, chlor-alkali plants, and battery manufacturing processes. Many landfills are also contaminated with mercury-containing waste. Furthermore, mercury contaminants often exist in multiple forms at the same site, including metallic mercury, organomercury compounds, and inorganic mercury compounds. Different forms of mercury and / or different substances often require different treatment methods.

[0005] Mercury-contaminated materials may also contain a variety of other environmental pollutants. For example, some materials are also contaminated with organic matter and / or other heavy metals, and these other environmental pollutants pose similar challenges. Therefore, reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants at any given site is technically challenging and costly, depending on the contaminated material, its state, the type of waste, the form of mercury, and the presence of other pollutants or environmental contaminants. Reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants, and consequently their bioavailability and thus their bioaccumulation (particularly in materials such as soil, groundwater, sediments, and slurries), is of particular interest.

[0006] Currently, commercial remediation processes applied to soil and other solids include stabilization / solidification, washing, thermal desorption, and vitrification. Processes applied to water and other liquids include sedimentation / co-precipitation, adsorption, filtration, and bioremediation. Processes applied to sediments and other solid-liquid combinations include in-situ capping, dredging / excavation, combinations of these approaches, and Monitored Natural Recovery (MNR) and Enhanced Monitored Natural Recovery (EMNR). Monitored Natural Recovery relies on natural processes to protect the environment and receptors from unacceptable contaminant exposure, while Enhanced MNR applies materials or modifiers to enhance the natural recovery process (e.g., adding a thin capping layer or reactive modifiers such as carbon). These remediation technologies offer benefits in controlling the environmental impacts of pollutants, including human health and ecological risks, but they also have limitations.

[0007] Another factor to consider for some remediation techniques is the tendency of environmental contaminants to migrate (or leach) from their location after isolation or stabilization. The USEPA also regulates this and has developed the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), a test designed to determine the migration rates of organic and inorganic analytes present in liquid, solid, and multiphase wastes.

[0008] Before a technology is selected for remediation of an actual contaminated site, complex laboratory-scale and pilot-scale studies and screening tests must be conducted to evaluate the technology and determine its suitability. Furthermore, the variability of each site makes the remediation of mercury and other environmental pollutants extremely expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, new and more commercially attractive processes are needed to reduce the environmental and bioavailability of environmental pollutants in solids, liquids, and combinations thereof. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention provides a process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants. The benefit of this process is the reduction of the environmental effectiveness of toxic environmental pollutants in the substance. Such toxic pollutants include mercury and methylmercury, as well as heavy metals and ecotoxicological organic substances.

[0010] The advantage provided by the process of this invention is that by reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants in the material, it also reduces the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of such pollutants. When the environmental pollutant is mercury, another advantage is that the process of this invention does not require the presence of sulfides, so the reduction in environmental effectiveness and therefore bioavailability is not negatively affected by acidic conditions that allow sulfides to form sulfuric acid or sulfate compounds; this lack of sulfate, in turn, minimizes mercury methylation.

[0011] The process of the present invention can be used as the sole process for reducing the environmental effectiveness and / or presence of environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) in a substance, or can be used to supplement and / or enhance the reduction of the environmental effectiveness and / or amount of such environmental pollutants in a substance that can be achieved by existing technologies.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention is a process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants. The process includes adding and / or applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the substance. In the halogen-containing adsorbent, the halogen includes one or more halogens selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and / or iodine, and one or more substrate materials. Adding and / or applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to a pollutant-containing substance reduces the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

[0013] These and other embodiments and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a graph showing the equilibrium mercury adsorption isotherm data from Example 1.

[0015] The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of specific aspects of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] This invention provides a process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants. As used throughout this document, "reducing environmental effectiveness" refers to stabilizing, immobilizing, fixing, encapsulating, separating, containing, destroying, detoxifying, decomposing, and decomposing at least one environmental pollutant, reducing the amount of at least one environmental pollutant, reducing the mobility of at least one environmental pollutant, and / or reducing the migration capacity of at least one environmental pollutant. Stabilization and / or immobilization can be carried out in a medium. Reducing the environmental effectiveness of environmental pollutants further reduces their bioavailability, thereby reducing their bioaccumulation.

[0017] As used herein, the terms "environmental pollutant" and "environmental pollutants" refer to a chemical element or its compounds or mixtures that are known to be harmful to humans and / or have an impact on the environment (ecosystem). Environmental pollutants are typically regulated by one or more government agencies. Examples of environmental pollutants include various forms of mercury, such as elemental mercury, organomercury compounds, and inorganic mercury compounds; other organic substances (including, for example, but not limited to, hydrophobic organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and / or chlorinated pesticides); hazardous elements, organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds (including, for example, but not limited to, compounds containing As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and / or Cd); and other environmental pollutants known to those skilled in the art.

[0018] As used throughout this document, terms such as “treated,” “contacted,” and “remedial” indicate that a halogenated adsorbent interacts with a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants in a manner that reduces the environmental effectiveness of one or more environmental pollutants.

[0019] The remedial agent used in this invention practice is a halogenated adsorbent, sometimes referred to herein as a "halogenated adsorbent". Halogenated adsorbents are typically formed from one or more halogenated compounds and one or more substrate materials. Many substrate materials (especially activated carbon) can be used or obtained from a wide range of particle sizes from nanometers to centimeters.

[0020] The substrate material includes carbonaceous materials and inorganic materials. Suitable carbonaceous materials include, for example, but not limited to, activated carbon, carbon black, charcoal, and coke. A preferred carbonaceous material is activated carbon, which can be used in many forms, including, for example, but not limited to, powdered, granular, or extruded forms, and has a high specific surface area. Powdered activated carbon is a particularly preferred form of activated carbon.

[0021] Suitable inorganic materials include inorganic oxides such as alumina (amorphous and crystalline), silica, magnesium oxide, and titanium dioxide; natural zeolites such as chabazite, clinoptilolite, and octahedralite; synthetic zeolites such as synthetic chabazite, zeolites with a high Si:Al ratio (ZSM-5, β-zeolite, sodalite), zeolites with a medium Si:Al ratio (Y-zeolite, A-zeolite), silica alumina phosphate (SAPO) zeolite, ion-exchange zeolites, uncalcined zeolites, clay minerals (e.g., kaolin, kaolinite, bentonite, and montmorillonite); inorganic hydroxides such as ferric hydroxide; mixed metal oxides such as hydrotalcite and metallized bilayer clay; diatomaceous earth; cement dust; hydrotreating catalysts, including those on a substrate (e.g., alumina, silica, or titanium dioxide); CaCO3; and combinations of any two or more of the above. Preferred inorganic materials include inorganic oxides (especially silicon dioxide), natural zeolites (especially chalcogenide) and clay minerals (especially kaolinite and bentonite); CaCO3 is also a preferred substrate material.

[0022] The halogen element in the halogen-containing adsorbent can be fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or a mixture of any two or more halogens. Bromine is a preferred halogen. Suitable halogen-containing compounds include, for example, but not limited to, elemental iodine and / or iodine compounds, elemental bromine and / or bromine compounds, elemental chlorine and / or chlorine compounds, elemental fluorine and / or fluorine compounds, and other suitable halogen compounds as known to those skilled in the art. Types of halogen-containing compounds that can be used include hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides.

[0023] Hydrogen halides include hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, and hydrogen iodide. Alkali metal halides include sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, and potassium iodide. Alkali earth metal halides include magnesium chloride, magnesium bromide, calcium chloride, and calcium bromide. Ammonium halides include ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide, and ammonium iodide.

[0024] Preferred halogenated compounds include elemental bromine, hydrogen bromide, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium iodide, and calcium bromide. Bromine-containing compounds are preferred halogenated compounds; hydrogen bromide and elemental bromine are more preferred, especially elemental bromine.

[0025] Halogen-containing adsorbents can be made from materials and halogen-containing compounds as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,953,494 and 9,101,907 and International Patent Publication No. WO 2012 / 071206. In some embodiments, the preferred halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing adsorbent. In some embodiments, the preferred halogen-containing adsorbent is halogen-containing activated carbon. In other embodiments, the preferred halogen-containing activated carbon is chlorine-containing activated carbon, bromine-containing activated carbon, and iodine-containing activated carbon. In a preferred embodiment, the halogen-containing adsorbent is chlorine-containing activated carbon and bromine-containing activated carbon. In a more preferred embodiment, the halogen-containing adsorbent is bromine-containing activated carbon. Bromine-containing activated carbon is available from Albemarle Corporation.

[0026] In other embodiments, preferred halogen-containing adsorbents are chlorine-containing activated carbon and iodine-containing activated carbon. In still other embodiments, preferred halogen-containing adsorbents are halogen-containing zeolite, halogen-containing bentonite, halogen-containing kaolinite, and halogen-containing silica.

[0027] In another embodiment, preferred halogen-containing adsorbents include bromine-containing silica, bromine-containing kaolinite, and bromine-containing bentonite.

[0028] Based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent, the amount of halogen (or halogen content) on the material is generally equivalent to the total bromine content (or calculated as bromine) in the range of about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, preferably equivalent to the total bromine content in the range of about 0.5 wt% to about 15 wt%, more preferably about 2 wt% to about 12 wt%, and even more preferably about 3 wt% to about 8 wt%.

[0029] Unless otherwise stated, phrases such as “as bromine,” “reported as bromine,” “calculated as bromine,” and similar phrases for halogens, as used throughout this document, refer to the amount of halogen, where the value is calculated against bromine. For example, elemental fluorine may be used, but the amount of halogen in a halogen-containing adsorbent is expressed as a value against bromine.

[0030] The bromine-containing activated carbon suitable for the process of this invention can have a wide variety of particle sizes and distributions from nanometers to centimeters; and can be formed in the form of activated carbon, including, for example, but not limited to, powder, granules or extrusion; high specific surface area, a variety of unique pore structures; and other features familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Halogenated adsorbents (especially bromine-containing adsorbents, and more particularly bromine-containing adsorbents) can reduce the environmental effectiveness of pollutants in a substance by means of, for example, but not limited to, oxidation and / or adsorption. Adsorption can reduce the environmental effectiveness of such pollutants by reducing the mobility of environmental pollutants. Other ways in which halogenated adsorbents can reduce the environmental effectiveness of pollutants are by enhancing the degradation of such pollutants via surface reactions; and / or by inhibiting the formation of pollutants (e.g., methylmercury); and / or by other mechanisms. In the process of the present invention, whether applied to a solid, a liquid, or a combination thereof, the environmental pollutants adsorbed by the halogenated adsorbent are stabilized, thereby substantially minimizing the amount desorbed into the environment.

[0032] Mercury and other environmental pollutants are adsorbed onto or removed by halogen-containing adsorbents (especially bromine-containing activated carbon). Different halogen (especially bromine) speciations can form on halogen-containing adsorbents (especially bromine-containing adsorbents, particularly bromine-containing activated carbon). For example, bromine is one bromine speciation that can oxidize elemental mercury to form mercuric bromide, which can be adsorbed into the pores of activated carbon; another speciation, bromide ions, can chemically bond with ionic mercury to adsorb onto the surface of activated carbon; yet another component can catalyze the oxidation of mercury and enhance the stabilization or adsorption of mercury oxidation products.

[0033] Some halogenated adsorbents (especially bromine-containing activated carbon) can physically and chemically adsorb mercury in different oxidation states, including elemental mercury, mercuric oxide, and organic mercury. Mercury adsorbed on bromine-containing activated carbon is stable over a wide pH range, where "stable" means that the mercury does not separate from the adsorbent in a significant amount after adsorption.

[0034] The adsorbent used in the process of this invention may be combined with other optional components such as: pH buffers (including, for example, but not limited to, carbonates and phosphates); carriers (including, for example, but not limited to, sand and mud); binders (including, for example, but not limited to, mud, clay and polymers); and / or other additives (including, for example, but not limited to, iron compounds and sulfur compounds).

[0035] In the practice of this invention, halogen-containing adsorbents can be used in various forms, including as dry adsorbents or in combination with suitable fluids, such as in the form of slurries. As used herein, the term "suitable fluid" refers to fluids such as water and other fluids. Those skilled in the art, in view of the teachings of this disclosure, will recognize the knowledge of selecting suitable fluids, as the selection depends on variables such as the composition of the substance and the composition of environmental pollutants present in the substance.

[0036] Some treatments of materials can be carried out in situ and ex-situ.

[0037] Thermal desorption and dry distillation are two common ex-situ thermal treatment methods for mercury remediation. This technique heats the contaminated medium to cause mercury to volatilize, and then condenses the vapor into liquid elemental mercury. Bromine-containing activated carbon can be used to adsorb mercury as an alternative to liquid mercury condensers, or to remove mercury from exhaust gases emitted from condensers.

[0038] In some applications, halogenated adsorbents will remain in or with the substance. In other applications, the adsorbent can be collected after use. When halogenated adsorbents are collected after use, they can be disposed of, regenerated, or reused.

[0039] A substance containing one or more environmental pollutants is a solid, a liquid, a combination of solids and liquids, or a combination of one or more solids and one or more liquids. When the substance is a solid, it may contain more than one type of solid. When the substance is a liquid, it may contain more than one type of liquid.

[0040] In some processes of the present invention, the use of halogen-containing adsorbents can be an independent remediation pathway or a supplement to other remediation methods, regardless of whether they are applied to a substance comprising one or more solids, one or more liquids, or a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid. In other processes according to the present invention, halogen-containing adsorbents may be used in the same remediation procedure in addition to one or more other remediation agents.

[0041] Adding a halogenated adsorbent to contaminated waste adsorbs one or more pollutants. In some embodiments, the halogenated adsorbent is retained in the substance to stabilize and / or solidify it. In other embodiments, the combined halogenated adsorbent and substance are often placed in a landfill along with binders and other compounds.

[0042] As used herein, the term "solid and / or solids" includes, but is not limited to, soil, debris, waste, and other such substances known to those skilled in the art. Soil is the preferred solid to be treated in the practice of this invention. The processes provided in this invention are for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a solid containing one or more environmental pollutants. Substances that are solids are sometimes referred to herein as solid matter.

[0043] Adding and / or applying halogen-containing adsorbents to solids may include:

[0044] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into a solid, optionally through pores and / or wells and / or channels present in the material (whether existing or artificially created, e.g., by drilling holes in the material); and / or

[0045] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to a solid surface; and / or

[0046] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of a solid surface; and / or

[0047] (d) Placing the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for treating the solid; and / or

[0048] (e) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the contained solid; and / or

[0049] (f) Combining halogen-containing adsorbents with solids; and / or

[0050] (g) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier; and / or

[0051] (h) Formation of a reaction barrier containing halogen-containing adsorbents.

[0052] As described in (c) above, combining a halogenated adsorbent with a solid surface can be done by combining the halogenated adsorbent with a portion of the solid and then applying the combination of the adsorbent and the solid to the solid surface, or by combining the halogenated adsorbent with the solid surface.

[0053] Some preferred methods for adding and / or applying halogen-containing adsorbents to solids are:

[0054] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into a solid;

[0055] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to a solid surface; and / or

[0056] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of a solid surface.

[0057] An implementation of treating a solid to reduce the environmental effectiveness of one or more environmental pollutants involves (i) drilling holes, wells, and / or channels in the solid, (ii) covering the surface of the solid with a layer of halogen-containing adsorbent, and (iii) heating portions of the solid to cause one or more environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) to migrate toward the surface thereon with the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0058] Another embodiment of treating solids to reduce the environmental effectiveness of one or more environmental pollutants involves (i) drilling holes, wells, and / or channels in the solid, (ii) filling some of the holes or channels with a halogen-containing adsorbent, and (iii) purging heated air into the holes or channels to cause one or more environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) to migrate into the holes filled with the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0059] In some embodiments of the invention, a solid is heated in a vacuum well to vaporize an environmental contaminant (e.g., mercury); when a halogenated adsorbent is present in the vacuum well as described in (d) above, the halogenated adsorbent can absorb one or more vaporized environmental contaminants. In these procedures, the halogenated adsorbent is placed in the vacuum well and contacted with the vapor generated in the vacuum well at one or more locations before being released into the atmosphere. One application of this procedure is for soil vapor extraction (SVE) for mercury remediation, and halogenated adsorbents (particularly bromine-containing activated carbon) can be placed in a vacuum well to adsorb mercury.

[0060] In certain types of solid soil, halogenated adsorbents can be used to fix mercury before or during stabilization and solidification (S / S) treatments in in-situ and / or ex-situ. One ex-situ process involves adding a halogenated adsorbent, one or more binders, and other components to the contaminated material and mixing them together in a reactor. The mixture is then stabilized and cemented or placed in a landfill. In some embodiments, bromine-containing powdered activated carbon can be used in the S / S treatment process. Mercury adsorbed by bromine-containing powdered activated carbon is stable during the manufacture and curing of concrete; see, for example, U.S. Patents 8,404,038 and 8,420,033. This is advantageous because fly ash and cement are typical binders used in S / S technologies.

[0061] In another embodiment of the invention, where halogenated adsorbents (especially bromine-containing powdered activated carbon) are used as remediation agents for mercury-contaminated soil, the halogenated adsorbent is spread on top of the contaminated soil. In this method, the soil remains undisturbed, and the halogenated adsorbent (especially bromine-containing activated carbon) is present on the top layer of the soil, preventing mercury from migrating from the soil.

[0062] Halogenated adsorbents (especially bromine-containing activated carbon) can be mixed with another agent to produce a mixture that improves the penetration of the halogenated adsorbent into solids (especially soil). The amount of halogenated adsorbent added can be less than 10% of the topsoil layer, and the topsoil layer can be up to 10 cm thick. In some embodiments, a pH adjuster is also applied, which can be applied alone or in mixture with the halogenated adsorbent, optionally together with the agent that improves the penetration of the halogenated adsorbent into solids.

[0063] The provided process of the present invention is for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a liquid containing one or more environmental pollutants. As used herein, the term "liquid" and / or "liquids" includes, but is not limited to, groundwater, wastewater, surface water, saltwater, freshwater (e.g., lakes, ponds), and other such substances known to those skilled in the art. Substances that are liquids are sometimes referred to herein as liquid substances.

[0064] The addition and / or application of halogen-containing adsorbents and liquids may include:

[0065] (a) Inject the halogen-containing adsorbent into the liquid; if necessary, filter the adsorbent used; and / or

[0066] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the liquid surface; and / or

[0067] (c) Combining a halogenated adsorbent with a liquid; and / or

[0068] (d) Passing the liquid through a fixed bed containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; and / or

[0069] (e) Passing the liquid through a filter containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; and / or

[0070] (f) Pumping liquid through a fixed bed or column containing a halogenated adsorbent; and / or

[0071] (g) Add the halogen-containing adsorbent to the liquid of the specified volume.

[0072] As described in (c) above, combining a halogenated adsorbent with a liquid can be done by combining the halogenated adsorbent with a bulk liquid, or by combining the halogenated adsorbent with a portion of the liquid to form a slurry, and then combining the slurry with the remaining liquid.

[0073] Some substances are combinations of at least one solid and at least one liquid, and include sludge, slurry, sediment, pore water (e.g., soil pore water or sediment pore water), and other combinations of solids and liquids. Sediments, soil pore water, and sediment pore water are preferred compositions of substances to be treated in the practice of this invention. These combinations are sometimes referred to as multiphase substances. The provided process of the invention is for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a combination comprising one or more environmental pollutants. Substances as combinations are sometimes referred to herein as composite substances.

[0074] The addition and / or application of halogenated adsorbents and combinations may include adding and / or applying the halogenated adsorbent to the combination. In such processes, adding and / or applying the halogenated adsorbent to the combination may include:

[0075] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly, optionally through pores and / or wells and / or channels present in the material (whether existing or artificially created, e.g., by drilling into the assembly); and / or

[0076] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly; and / or

[0077] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination as described above for solid and / or liquid substances; and / or

[0078] (d) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with this combination; and / or

[0079] (e) Placing the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for processing the combination in a manner similar to that described for solid materials; and / or

[0080] (f) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the included combination; and / or

[0081] (g) Covering the surface of the substance with a layer containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; and / or

[0082] (h) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the lid; and / or

[0083] (i) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier; and / or

[0084] (j) forming a reaction barrier containing a halogenated adsorbent; and / or

[0085] (k) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the geotextile mat.

[0086] As described in (d) above, combining the halogenated adsorbent with the combination can be done by combining the halogenated adsorbent with the combination, or by combining the halogenated adsorbent with a portion of the combination to form a mixture, and then combining the mixture with the surface of the combination. In these embodiments, the halogenated adsorbent may include, for example, but not limited to, halogenated activated carbon adsorbents, preferably bromine-containing carbon adsorbents, and more preferably bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbents.

[0087] Some preferred methods for adding and / or applying halogen-containing adsorbents to this combination are:

[0088] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly;

[0089] (b) Apply a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly;

[0090] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination; and / or

[0091] (d) Combine the halogen-containing adsorbent with this combination.

[0092] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many variables must be considered regarding the use of this invention, depending on the substance being treated. In all processes of this invention, whether applied to solids, liquids, or combinations thereof, those skilled in the art, in light of the teachings herein, will be able to determine the following: the amount of halogen-containing adsorbent to be used; whether optional components are to be used in combination with the adsorbent, and if so, the specific optional components and their amounts that will produce benefits; the number of times the process of this invention will be applied to produce benefits and the time intervals between such applications; whether the process of this invention is to be used in combination with known remediation methods, and if so, how to obtain beneficial results, etc.

[0093] The present invention also relates to the following embodiments:

[0094] 1. A process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a substance comprising one or more environmental pollutants, the process comprising...

[0095] A halogen-containing adsorbent is added to and / or applied to the substance, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent comprises one or more halogens selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine and / or iodine, and one or more substrate materials.

[0096] This reduces the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

[0097] 2. The process according to embodiment 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent comprises a substrate material selected from one or more carbonaceous materials.

[0098] 3. The process according to embodiment 2, wherein the carbonaceous material is activated carbon.

[0099] 4. The process according to embodiment 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent comprises a substrate material selected from one or more inorganic materials.

[0100] 5. The process according to embodiment 4, wherein the inorganic material is selected from inorganic oxides, natural zeolite, CaCO3 and clay minerals.

[0101] 6. The process according to embodiment 5, wherein the inorganic material is selected from zeolite, silica, kaolinite and bentonite.

[0102] 7. The process according to any one of the embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing adsorbent.

[0103] 8. The process according to embodiment 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a halogen-containing activated carbon adsorbent.

[0104] 9. The process according to embodiment 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent.

[0105] 10. The process according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated in terms of bromine and is from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0106] 11. The process according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the substance comprising the environmental pollutant is a solid.

[0107] 12. The process according to embodiment 11, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the solid comprises:

[0108] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the solid;

[0109] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the solid;

[0110] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the solid;

[0111] (d) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for treating the solid;

[0112] (e) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the contained solid;

[0113] (f) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the solid;

[0114] (g) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier; and / or

[0115] (h) Formation of a reaction barrier containing halogen-containing adsorbents.

[0116] 13. The process according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the substance containing the environmental pollutant is a liquid.

[0117] 14. The process according to embodiment 13, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the liquid comprises:

[0118] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the liquid;

[0119] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the liquid;

[0120] (c) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the liquid;

[0121] (d) Passing the liquid through a fixed bed containing a halogen-containing adsorbent;

[0122] (e) Passing the liquid through a filter containing a halogen-containing adsorbent;

[0123] (f) Pumping the liquid through a fixed bed or column containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; and / or

[0124] (g) Add the halogen-containing adsorbent to the liquid of the specified volume.

[0125] 15. The process according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the substance comprising the environmental pollutant is a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid.

[0126] 16. The process according to embodiment 15, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the combination comprises:

[0127] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly;

[0128] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly;

[0129] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination;

[0130] (d) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the aforementioned combination;

[0131] (e) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for treating the combination;

[0132] (f) Add the halogen-containing adsorbent to the composition;

[0133] (g) Cover the surface of the substance with a layer containing a halogen-containing adsorbent;

[0134] (h) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the lid;

[0135] (i) Add a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier;

[0136] (j) forming a reaction barrier containing a halogenated adsorbent; and / or

[0137] (k) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the geotextile mat.

[0138] 17. The process according to embodiment 11 or 12, wherein the solid is soil.

[0139] 18. The process according to embodiment 16, wherein the addition and / or application includes:

[0140] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the solid;

[0141] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the solid; and / or

[0142] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the solid.

[0143] 19. The process according to embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the combination is a deposit.

[0144] 20. The process according to embodiment 19, wherein the addition and / or application includes:

[0145] (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly;

[0146] (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly;

[0147] (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination; and / or

[0148] (d) Combine the halogen-containing adsorbent with the aforementioned combination.

[0149] 21. The process according to embodiment 1, wherein the substance is soil or sediment, and wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent.

[0150] The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0151] In the embodiments, unless otherwise stated, the amount of mercury present in the sample was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption (CVAA; atomic absorption mercury spectrometer with Zeeman background correction, Ohio Lumex Co., model RA 915+) in an atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a mercury vapor analyzer.

[0152] In all embodiments, the operation using ordinary (untreated) activated carbon was used for comparison.

[0153] Example 1

[0154] Powdered activated carbon (average particle size 15 μm) was treated with gas-phase Br2 at high temperature using a procedure as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,953,494 to form bromine-containing powdered activated carbon with a bromine content of 8 wt%. The bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent was used to remove mercury from a synthesized mercury-containing solution. Bromine-containing powdered activated carbon (0.4 g / L) was placed in several reactor flasks. A solution of Hg(NO3)2 at pH 2 was prepared and added to the reactor flasks containing the adsorbent; each reactor flask contained a constant volume of Hg(NO3)2 at different pH values. 2+The solutions were prepared at different concentrations. The samples were rotated at 32 ± 2 rpm for 24 hours, and each resulting mixture was passed through an injection filter (0.45 μm pore membrane) to separate the adsorbent from the liquid. Another set of experiments was performed in parallel using untreated (ordinary) activated carbon for comparison. The mercury concentration in the filtered liquid from each solution was then determined.

[0155] In these experiments, the maximum mercury adsorption on bromine-containing activated carbon was 8 wt%, while the maximum mercury adsorption on untreated activated carbon was 3 wt%. The results are summarized in Table 1.

[0156] The adsorption isotherms of Br-PAC and untreated powdered activated carbon (PAC) conform to the Langmuir equation; the calculated Langmuir equilibrium adsorption capacity is consistent with the experimental data. Figure 1 The graph shows the equilibrium mercury adsorption isotherms for the following two sets of runs, with the data shown as squares and the calculated Langmuir isotherms shown as lines: Br-PAC (solid squares and solid lines) and a comparative run using untreated activated carbon (hollow squares and dashed lines); where the x-axis is the equilibrium Hg concentration in the aqueous solution (mg / L) and the y-axis is the adsorbed Hg (mg / g adsorbent).

[0157] Table 1

[0158]

[0159]

[0160] Example 2

[0161] Particulate activated carbon with a particle size ranging from 0.6 mm to 2.4 mm was treated with gas-phase Br2 at high temperature using a procedure as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,953,494 to form bromine-containing particulate activated carbon with a bromine content of 3 wt%. The bromine-containing particulate activated carbon was packed into several quartz columns 15 cm high and 1.5 cm in diameter. Hg was then used to... 2+ (In the form of HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2) Add to deionized water to a pH of 6.8 ± 0.2. 2+ A synthetic wastewater solution was prepared at a concentration of approximately 4000 ng / L. The synthetic wastewater solution was passed through each column from top to bottom at different flow rates: 0.1 BV / min, 0.3 BV / min, 0.5 BV / min, and 1.0 BV / min (BV being the bed volume). Inflow and outflow samples were taken from each column every three hours, and the mercury content of the samples was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry using USEPA method 1631.

[0162] The bromine-containing granular activated carbon used in this embodiment has a particle size of 0.8 to 1.0 mm and is a commercially available activated carbon. 300 (Calgon Corp.) is far more effective; this commercially available activated carbon was tested in mercury-contaminated water near the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Data generated by the 300 adsorbent were reported in T&N Associates, Mercury Treatability Study Final Report: Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Report BJC / OR-46, prepared in accordance with subcontract 395064-14-AMU, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, June 1998 for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management. The results are summarized in Table 2 below.

[0163] Table 2

[0164]

[0165] Example 3

[0166] This embodiment demonstrates that once captured by bromine-containing activated carbon, mercury from an unsaturated solution will not leach out from the bromine-containing activated carbon.

[0167] Tests were conducted on fly ash containing bromine-containing powdered activated carbon (Br-PAC, 5 wt% Br) with mercury captured from flue gas to determine mercury leaching of fly ash / Br-PAC containing several different amounts of mercury in solutions with different pH values. In these tests, each solution (100 mL) containing 5 g of each fly ash / Br-PAC sample was rotated at 32 ± 2 rpm for 24 hours, filtered, and then the filtered liquid was analyzed for mercury. The results are summarized in Table 3 below.

[0168] These TCLP tests showed that mercury leaching at pH values ​​of 3, 8, and 11 was well below the USEPA leachate limits. Even though the mercury content in the fly ash / Br-PAC samples was higher than that in the (compared) baseline fly ash samples alone, less mercury was leached from the fly ash / Br-PAC samples alone. Similar results for mercury in alkaline leachates (pH 11.12, Na2CO3 aqueous solution) and near-neutral leachates (pH 8.03, water) have been previously reported: Nelson, Jr., S. et al., "Evaluation of Fly Ash Containing B-PAC". TM"Brominated Mercury Sorbent", submitted to the 2005 World of Coal Ash Conference, 2005, unpublished conference briefing.

[0169] Table 3

[0170]

[0171]

[0172] 1 Individual fly ash samples were taken from a coal-fired power plant before Br-PAC was injected into the flue gas.

[0173] 2 The samples were taken from the same plant when Br-PAC was injected into the flue gas to capture gaseous mercury; a reduction of approximately 90% in mercury in the flue gas was observed; the Br-PAC was 1.5 to 1.6 wt% of a fly ash / Br-PAC mixture.

[0174] 3 The Hg in the acetic acid leachate is minus the Hg in the extraction solvent; see the explanation below.

[0175] The data in Table 3 show that, at various pH values, the leachates containing fly ash and bromine-containing powdered activated carbon contained the least amount of mercury. The negative values ​​in the "Difference" column of Table 3 not only indicate that the mercury adsorbed by the bromine-containing powdered activated carbon was not released, but also that the bromine-containing powdered activated carbon removed mercury present in the acetic acid extraction solvent.

[0176] Example 4

[0177] The stability of mercury adsorbed in a mixture of bromine-containing powdered activated carbon (Br-PAC) and soil was tested. Br-PAC (8 wt% Br) prepared as described in US 6,953,494 was contacted with soil mixtures at various ratios. Each sample was treated with 50 ppm Hg (in the form of HgCl2 solution) and then rotated at 32 ± 2 rpm for 24 hours. The mercury adsorption capacity of the samples was then tested. Upon completion of the adsorption test, the solids (comprising the adsorbent and soil) in each sample were separated from the liquid, and the solid samples were dried and tested according to the USEPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) to determine the amount of mercury desorbed from each sample; the conditions used were 0.1 M acetic acid, pH 2.88 ± 0.5, and a solid-liquid ratio (S / L) of 1:20. The results are summarized in Table 4.

[0178] Table 4

[0179]

[0180] * The stability ratio is calculated as follows: [Mercury adsorbed into the adsorbent, mg / g adsorbent] ÷ [Mercury desorbed, mg / g adsorbent]

[0181] Example 5

[0182] Kinetic data were generated for the adsorption of mercury on / in Br-PAC (as described in US 6,953,494) and conventional PAC. Experiments were conducted using solutions containing 50 ppm mercury. Different amounts of adsorbent were added to each mercury solution. Samples of the adsorbent-containing solutions were taken at several time intervals. The results are summarized in Tables 5A-5D. The kinetic data show that Br-PAC reached an adsorption stable state within approximately 30 min (at 0.5 g / L) and approximately 5 min (at 1.5 g / L), while conventional PAC did not reach a stable state within 24 hr.

[0183] Table 5A

[0184]

[0185] Table 5B

[0186]

[0187] Table 5C

[0188]

[0189] Table 5D

[0190]

[0191]

[0192] Example 6

[0193] The stability of mercury adsorbed in a mixture of brominated powdered activated carbon (Br-PAC) and soil under acidic conditions was tested. Br-PAC (8 wt% Br) prepared as described in US 6,953,494 was contacted with the soil mixture at 1 wt%. Each sample was treated with 50 ppm Hg (in the form of HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2 solution) and then rotated at 32 ± 2 rpm for 24 hours. The mercury adsorption capacity of the samples was then tested. The results are summarized in Table 6.

[0194] Table 6

[0195]

[0196] Example 7

[0197] Br-PAC was prepared as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,953,494. Several halogen-containing adsorbents were prepared by: (1) adding an aqueous solution of a halide salt to activated carbon or an inorganic material, mixing thoroughly, and then drying the mixture; or (2) blending a powdered halide salt with carbon or an inorganic material until a relatively homogeneous mixture was obtained. These bromine-containing adsorbents were tested to investigate their ability to absorb mercury from synthesized mercury-containing solutions.

[0198] The halogenated adsorbent was placed in a reactor flask. A solution was prepared using HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2 and added to the reactor flask containing the adsorbent; each reactor flask contained the same concentration of Hg. 2+ The samples were rotated at 32 ± 2 rpm for 24 hours, and each resulting mixture was passed through an injection filter (0.45 μm pore membrane) to separate the adsorbent from the liquid. Comparative runs were performed in parallel using untreated (ordinary) activated carbon. The mercury concentration in the filtered liquid from each solution was then determined. Parameters have not been optimized, especially for halogenated adsorbents made from inorganic halide salts. The results are summarized in Table 7.

[0199] Table 7

[0200]

[0201] 1 This is equivalent to 18 wt% when calculated as bromine.

[0202] 2 This is equivalent to 11.3 wt% when calculated as bromine.

[0203] 3 This is equivalent to 5 wt% when calculated as bromine.

[0204] 4 This is equivalent to 2.5 wt% when calculated as bromine.

[0205] Further embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to:

[0206] A) A process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants, the process comprising:

[0207] A halogen-containing adsorbent is added to and / or applied to the substance, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent, a chlorine-containing activated carbon adsorbent, an iodine-containing activated carbon adsorbent, a bromine-containing zeolite, a bromine-containing bentonite, a bromine-containing kaolinite, or a bromine-containing silica.

[0208] This reduces the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

[0209] B) According to the process described in A), the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated as bromine and is about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0210] C) According to the process described in A), the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated as bromine and is about 0.5 wt% to about 15 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0211] D) According to the process described in A), the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated in terms of bromine and is about 2 wt% to about 12 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0212] E) According to the process described in A), the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated in terms of bromine and is about 3 wt% to about 8 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent.

[0213] F) The process according to any one of A)-E), wherein the substance is soil.

[0214] G) The process according to any one of A)-E), wherein the substance is a sediment.

[0215] H) The process according to any one of A)-E), wherein the substance is soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0216] I) According to the process described in A), the adsorbent is bromine-containing activated carbon, wherein the halogen content is calculated in terms of bromine and is based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, and wherein the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0217] J) According to the process described in I), the halogen content is calculated as bromine and is about 0.5 wt% to about 15 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent, preferably about 2 wt% to about 12 wt%, more preferably about 3 wt% to about 8 wt%.

[0218] K) According to the process described in A), the adsorbent is bromine-containing chalcogenide, bromine-containing bentonite, bromine-containing kaolinite or bromine-containing silica, wherein the halogen content is calculated in terms of bromine and is based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, and wherein the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0219] L) According to the process described in K), the halogen content is calculated as bromine and is about 0.5 wt% to about 15 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent, preferably about 2 wt% to about 12 wt%, more preferably about 3 wt% to about 8 wt%.

[0220] M) According to the process described in A), the adsorbent is chlorine-containing activated carbon, wherein the halogen content is calculated as bromine and is based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, and wherein the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0221] N) According to the process described in A), the adsorbent is iodine-containing activated carbon, the halogen content is calculated as bromine and is based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, and the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0222] O) According to the process described in K), the halogen content is calculated as bromine and is about 0.5 wt% to about 15 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent, preferably about 2 wt% to about 12 wt%.

[0223] Any component mentioned anywhere in the specification or claims, whether in the singular or plural form, is confirmed to be present prior to contact with another substance (e.g., another component, solvent, etc.) mentioned in the chemical name or chemical type. What kind of chemical change, transformation, and / or reaction (if any) occurs in the resulting mixture or solution is not important, as such changes, transformations, and / or reactions are a natural result of bringing the specified components together under the conditions required by this disclosure. Therefore, the component is identified as the ingredient to be brought together in relation to performing the desired operation or forming the desired composition. Furthermore, although the claims below may refer to substances, components, and / or ingredients in the present tense (“comprises,” “is,” etc.), this reference is directed to substances, components, or ingredients that are present just prior to their first contact, blending, or mixing with one or more other substances, components, and / or ingredients according to this disclosure. Therefore, the fact that a substance, component, or ingredient may lose its original properties through chemical reaction or transformation during contact, blending, or mixing operations, if carried out in accordance with this disclosure and the ordinary skills of a chemist, is of no practical significance.

[0224] This invention may include, consist of, or substantially consist of the materials and / or procedures listed herein.

[0225] As used herein, the term "about" modifying the amount of an ingredient used in the compositions or methods of the invention refers to a variation in quantity that may occur, for example, through typical measurement and liquid handling procedures used in the preparation of concentrates or the use of solutions in the real world; through negligence or errors in these procedures; through differences in the manufacture, origin, or purity of the ingredients used to make the compositions or perform the methods; and so on. The term "about" also covers amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions resulting from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term "about," the claims include equivalent amounts of that quantity.

[0226] Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the articles “a” or “an” (if used herein and as is used herein) are not intended to limit the description or claim to the single element referred to by the article, and should not be construed as limiting the description or claim to the single element referred to by the article. Rather, unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, the article “a” or “an” (if used herein and as is used herein) is intended to cover one or more such elements.

[0227] Although the invention has been described according to one or more preferred embodiments, it should be understood that other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for reducing the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds in a substance, the process comprising: A halogen-containing adsorbent is added to and / or applied to the substance, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent comprises one or more halogens selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and / or iodine, and one or more substrate materials, wherein the adsorbent is formed from elemental iodine, elemental bromine, elemental chlorine, elemental fluorine, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, or hydrogen iodide, and one or more substrate materials, wherein the substrate material is activated carbon or zeolite, silica, kaolinite, and bentonite, wherein the halogen content of the halogen-containing adsorbent is calculated in terms of bromine and is from 0.1 wt% to 20 wt% based on the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent. This reduces the environmental effectiveness of at least a portion of one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds in the substance. The substance comprising one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds is a solid, a liquid, or a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid, wherein the process does not require the presence of sulfides.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing adsorbent.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent.

4. The process according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the substance comprising one or more heavy metals is a solid.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the solid comprises: (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the solid; and / or (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the solid; and / or (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the solid; and / or (d) Placing the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for treating the solid; and / or (e) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the contained solid; and / or (f) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the solid; and / or (g) Adding a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier; and / or (h) Formation of a reaction barrier containing halogen-containing adsorbents.

6. The process according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the substance comprising one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds is a liquid.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the liquid comprises one or more of the following: (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the liquid; (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the liquid; (c) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the liquid; (d) Passing the liquid through a fixed bed containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; (e) Pass the liquid through a filter containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; (f) Pumping the liquid through a fixed bed or column containing a halogen-containing adsorbent.

8. The process according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the substance comprising one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds is a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the combination comprises one or more of the following: (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly; (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly; (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination; (d) Combining the halogen-containing adsorbent with the aforementioned combination; (e) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in a vacuum well for treating the combination; (f) Add the halogen-containing adsorbent to the composition; (g) Cover the surface of the substance with a layer containing a halogen-containing adsorbent; (h) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the lid; (i) Add a halogen-containing adsorbent to the reaction barrier; (j) Formation of a reaction barrier containing halogen-containing adsorbents; (k) Place the halogen-containing adsorbent in the geotextile mat.

10. The process according to claim 4, wherein the solid is soil.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the solid comprises: (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the solid; (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the solid; and / or (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the solid.

12. The process of claim 8, wherein the combination is a deposit.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein adding and / or applying the halogen-containing adsorbent to the combination comprises: (a) Injecting a halogen-containing adsorbent into the assembly; (b) Applying a halogen-containing adsorbent to the surface of the assembly; (c) Combining a halogen-containing adsorbent with at least a portion of the surface of the combination; and / or (d) Combine the halogen-containing adsorbent with the aforementioned combination.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein the substance is soil or sediment, and wherein the halogen-containing adsorbent is a bromine-containing activated carbon adsorbent.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein one or more organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds are mercury.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein when the halogen is bromine, elemental bromine is in the gas phase.

Images