Catalyzed Destruction of Halogenated Organic Vapors

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chlorinated organic compounds, including trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), appear prominently among the organic contaminants regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Studies suggest that certain birth defects, including heart defects, may occur when mothers drink water containing TCE and PCE; the incidence of childhood leukemia appears to be higher; and liver problems and an increased risk of cancer in adults may also be associated with drinking water contaminated with these pollutants. This proposal is driven by the need to develop new technologies to treat TCE and PCE, which contaminate most Superfund sites. We propose using a catalytic converter to destroy these toxic vapors converting them into carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid, which is easily recovered and neutralized. The technology is novel in that a chemically reducing gas such as propane is added to the catalytic converter influent stream, containing PCE and/or TCE vapor in air, in order to protect the catalyst from poisoning, and thereby overcome the major obstacle to widespread commercial implementation. The catalytic converter could be deployed wherever TCE or PCE is currently treated by absorption onto granular activated carbon - the only widely accepted technology. This would be a major advance because the converter would destroy the contaminants on site, rather than transfer them to another medium (activated carbon) for subsequent disposal at a hazardous waste landfill. The system has worked well in the laboratory on a wide variety of chlorinated organics. Here we request funding to fully test the system in the field for prolonged periods of continuous operation in order to gain critical information concerning catalyst lifetime and operation costs. If successful, the catalytic incinerator could become the standard treatment technology for chlorinated organic vapors.