Description
Former Raritan Arsenal Edison, New Jersey, USA
Project: Bioremediation of TNT & DNT in Homogenized Soil
Summary: DARAMEND® bioremediation technology was applied at
pilot scale to approximately 100 tons of soil from the former Raritan
Arsenal in Edison, New Jersey. Area 4 at the Raritan Arsenal was formerly
used as a high explosives salvage and melt-out area from World War I
through the 1920s.
The Challenge: Homogenized soil from the site
contained approximately 600 mg/kg of TNT/DNT. The Solution Soil excavated
from Area 4 was placed in an Engineered Biotreatment Cell (EBC)
constructed in a small building on the former arsenal property. The EBC
was built using portable barrier walls overlain with a 40-mil HDPE liner.
The liner was protected with an 8-inch layer of sand, and a 2-foot layer
of soil from Area 4 was placed on the sand layer. The EBC also included an
irrigation system and decontamination pad. Because the pilot was conducted
in the winter months, the building was insulated and heated.
The Result: The pilot was scheduled to run for about
75 days. After 28 days of treatment, however, TNT concentrations had been
reduced to an average of 74 mg/kg and amino-DNT was reduced to 25.9 mg/kg.
These levels met the proposed Remedial Goals for the site. After 56 days,
the concentration of TNT was reduced to <5 mg/kg and amino-DNT was
reduced to <3 mg/kg. Because of rapid rate of treatment, the
demonstration ended after only 56 days.
The Cost: Based on the results of the pilot
demonstration, full-scale treatment costs were estimated at $68/ton of
soil treated. This estimate assumed that the soil treated during the
pilot-demonstration was representative of the entire site and that a total
of approximately 5,000 tons of soil would be treated. Estimated treatment
costs included all construction costs for the treatment cell, manufacture
and delivery of all amendments and turnkey application of the technology
to site soil. The estimate excluded excavation, UXO clearance, delivery of
the soil to the treatment cell, and confirmatory analytical cost.
The Timeline: Treatment cell construction began on
November 8, 1998 and continued through December 2, 1998. Immediately
following construction the pilot-demonstration was initiated. Four
fourteen (14) day treatment cycles were applied to the soil, and treatment
was completed on February 5, 1999. A short break (8 days) was scheduled
late in December 1998.
Figure 1: Influence of DARAMENDR treatment on TNT concentrations in
soil at the former Raritan Arsenal, Edison, NJ
Companies On This Project
ADVENTUS GROUP
