Cleanup Technology

Catalytic degradation of chlorinated compounds in an aqueous phase is possible in principle and has been achieved in situ. Although this decontamination technique cannot be used in all applications, it may represent an economical alternative to the standard purification methods in certain situations.
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Considerable research work has been undertaken in conjunction with the reinstatement and recultivation of former opencast brown coal mining areas. This manual sets out the key scientific factors considered and results obtained, and thus provides an overview of current know-how in the field of the sustainable redevelopment of mines. Expand…

Cucurbituril is a macrocyclic ligand which is able to remove aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions. In these complexes the hydrocarbons are located inside the hydrophobic cavity of cucurbituril. In the regeneration process ozone destroys the substances included in the cavity of cucurbituril without oxidising the macrocyclic ligand itself. Several charging/regenerating cycles are possible. Expand…

The Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing - IITB developed the WAABIS (information system water, waste, refuse dumps, soil) - module groundwater in the programming language Java. Apart from the requirement to integrate GLOBUS components (e.g. a data base search system and a GIS tool) into the specialized application, flexibility and expandability were the substantial criteria for the IT concept. Possible fields of application are e.g. specialized applications within the framework of environmental information systems.

The project members examine degradation mechanisms (reductive dechlorination, biological anaerobic reduction and abiotic reduction) of chlorinated compounds in the groundwater. In laboratory experiments and studies on contaminated demonstration sites the project team detects influences on chlorine degradation with the help of double isotope analysis. Expand…

Findings and proposed measures are based upon the historical investigation and analysis of soil and groundwater samples. The main contaminants identified have been chromium, arsenic and naphthalene. The polymerase chain reaction method has also been subject to further development, in order to allow the identification of anthrax spores, even at low concentrations. Expand…

In controlled operations passive-biological processing plants were able to steadily reduce the uranium and nitrate concentration levels of mining waste water to levels which are below the approved discharge values. The construction and operation of the plant incurred only approx 20 per cent of costs of comparable conventional precipitation/flocculation plants.
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The method developed allows a quantification of the entire pollutant load and guarantees the best dimensioning and positioning of the reactor. The efficiency of cleaning can be tested if the cleanup reactor is set up in the outflow area.
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A tool for the comparative technical/economical and ecological evaluation of reactive walls (in a funnel-and-gate system) in relation to conventional pump-and-treat systems has been developed and applied. Documented procedures for the technological variants considered, namely, activated carbon reactors, iron reactors and combined activated carbon/iron reactors can be used as a basis for the evaluation of further reactor technologies. Expand…