DOE technology shows up twice in top 100 award

R&D magazine awards are given annually for the 100 most significant technological developments with commercial application. Products, processes, materials and software developed throughout the world are considered. This year's awards include two technologies produced for or with DOE --- the BiocubeTM Aerobic Biofilter, a process developed by scientists from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in collaboration with industry engineers; and a gas treatment technology developed for DOE by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL).

The BiocubeTM Aerobic Biofilter uses microorganisms contained in compost to remediate hydrocarbon vapors and was developed by William Apel, Frederick Colwell, Allison Espinosa, Earl Johnson, Brady Lee, and Michelle Wiebe, all with INEL, and Wayne Kant, Patrick Melick, and Bruce Singleton, all with EG&G Rotron. Several BiocubeTM units have been sold by EG&G Rotron and are being used at commercial sites. The system is being used to remediate leaking underground storage tanks to treat hydrocarbon vapors, and in controlling odors. The system was successfully tested with vapor vacuum extraction (VVE) operations at a leaking underground tank remediation site. VVE is commonly used to remove hazardous organic compounds from subsurface soils by drawing the vapors from surrounding soil to the surface. This operation produces gases laden with hydrocarbon vapors that must be removed before the gases are released to the environment. As gases are drawn from subsurface soils, they pass through the modular Biocube TM which holds trays of compost containing microorganisms that break down the gases to carbon dioxide and water before they are released. The process produces no hazardous wastes for disposal.

PNL's award winning technology zaps contaminants within gas streams using electrical streams of ionized gas. This process, called the High Energy Corona system, alters the chemical composition of certain toxic industrial wastes more cost effectively and efficiently than alternative methods including catalytic incineration. The system was developed to treat toxic vapors from soil contamination and PNL researchers believe it has potential for treating industrial emissions. As contaminants are pulled through the High Energy Corona system an electric field is established to create plasma. The plasma oxidizes or consumes the contaminants as rapidly as one second or less. During field tests in May 1993, the system destroyed trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene with 99 percent efficiency. Trichloroethylene, once commonly used by dry cleaners and painters, is now listed as a carcinogen and is one of the most common soil contaminants in the United States.

Despite its name, the High Energy Corona system uses little energy and operates near ambient temperatures and pressures. Because of these low temperatures, the process does not produce hazardous byproducts such as dioxins and nitrogen oxide, typically associated with high temperature incineration. Treating chlorinated solvents produces hydrochloric acid but the remaining gas can be scrubbed with water and neutralized with ordinary baking soda, resulting in water, salt, and essentially clean air with slightly elevated levels of carbon dioxide. Battelle researchers William Heath, Jud Virden, Steve Goheen, and Dick Richardson were honored for their work on the corona system. PNL is currently negotiating industrial partnerships to help commercialize the technology.