METHOD FOR REMOVING MERCURY FROM CONTAMINATED SOILS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES AND RELATED APPARATUS

摘要

A method and an apparatus (30) for removing mercury from contaminated soils and industrial wastes are provided. The removed mercury may be recovered. A furnace (8) vaporizes the mercury containing portion and the vapors are condensed. In one embodiment, an initial heating stage volatilizes water vapor and other volat ile contaminants, such as hydrocarbons, with substantial vaporization of the mercury-containing portion, subsequently, a seco nd temperature higher than the first is employed to vaporize the mercury containing portion. In one embodiment, a metallic salt reac ts with sulfur in the material to form a stable solid sulfur compound to reduce sulfur content in the gaseous effluent. The addi tion of a metallic salt may also be employed to react with mercury halides to release elemental mecury therefrom. The contaminated mat erial is thereby converted from one which is hazardous due to mercury contamination to one which is non-hazardous. The efflue nt is treated to reduce environmental hazards in the same. The system (30) is preferably provided on or in a vehicle (11, 12, 13, 14) so as to facilitate treatment of the contaminated materials at the site of the same.