Microwave Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Volatile Organic Chemicals

마이크로파에 의한 휘발성 유기토양오염물질 제거에 관한 연구

This study has been focused on the applicability of microwave treatment of soil contaminated by volitile organic chemicals. Substrates studied were sand and sandy soil. These substrates were impregnated with toluene, tetrachloroethylene, o-xylene and p-dichlorobenzene. The microwave treatment was conducted in a modified domestic microwave oven: 2450 MHz, 700 W. The sandy soil temperature added water went up rapidly to about 130$\circ$C for 4 minutes. And then, the temperature appeared to plateau out. A series of tests were performed to depict the effectiveness of microwave treatment technique to organic contaminants from soils. Removal efficiencies in sandy soil and sand were increased with increasing water content and exposure time. Microwave radiation penetrates the soil and heats water throughout the matrix. Therefore, addition of a certain amount of water to the contaminated soil can efficiently enhance the ability of the soil to absorb microwave energy and promote the evaporation of the volitile contaminants. And the vapour pressure of impregnated organic contaminants becomes lower. the removal efficiency becomes poor.