title: A laboratory pilot study of thermal decontamination of soils polluted by PCBs. Comparison with thermogravimetric analysis.
abstract: Real soils contaminated with a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls were thermally decontaminated in a laboratory scale thermal desorption apparatus, under different operating conditions including two operating pressures (P= 0.01 and 0.1 MPa), different sample masses (80-320 g), carrier gas flow rates (0-30-280 Nl h(-1)) and two initial contamination levels. A standard European soil artificially contaminated with 4-chlorobiphenyl was decontaminated using a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The same parametric study as cited earlier was performed. With both techniques, the extent of decontamination was studied as a function of temperature during the heating programs (2-3 degrees C min(-1) for the thermal desorption apparatus; 5 degrees C min(-1) for TGA). Only a few differences were noticed between the two techniques. The decontamination starts when the melting temperature of the contaminant is reached (30 degrees C) and is complete before 350 degrees C. Thermogravimetric analysis which does not necessitate any chemical analysis appears to be a very attractive technique to investigate the feasibility of a decontamination and to quickly determine the best operating conditions.
authors.affiliation: Trédi, Département Recherche, Technopĵle de Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Risoul
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Renauld
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trouvé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilot
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls