Innovative Sonic Technology for Ex-Situ Treatment of Mercury Contaminated Waste

A novel combination of technologies is proposed by Montec Research to improve ex situ mercury remediation. The combination of acoustic agitation, iodine leaching chemistry, and real-time management of leach oxidation potential will allow mercury to be extracted economically from soils, sediments, and debris. Additional residue-washing steps are proposed to help residues pass the Universal Treatment Standards Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure level of 0.025 mg/L. Recovery of iodine from the leach residues also is a critical focus of the research, as near-complete recoveries are required to make many iodine-based processes economically viable. Other commercial benefits are expected to spring from successful completion of the Phase I work. Iodine leaching is applicable as a benign noncyanide leaching process for gold and can be used in the recycling of platinum group metals. The techniques employed to recover the expensive reagent may expand the attractiveness of iodine chemistry in those applications.