A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; combusting syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor in a secondary combustion zone in the gasification/vitrification reactor; and supplying products of the syngas combustion to the incinerator to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator. An apparatus used to practice the method is also provided.

Compositions, devices, and methods for destroying chemical warfare agents, independent of their chemical make-up, include (i) at least one reactive metal; (ii) at least one oxidizer; and (iii) a binder. In one embodiment, the self-sustaining reactive composition includes magnesium powder, iron oxide powder, potassium perchlorate powder, and silicone gel. In another embodiment, the self-sustaining reactive composition includes manganese powder, lithium perchlorate powder, lithium peroxide powder, and silicone gel. The reactive metal(s), oxidizer(s), binder, and their respective amounts, are selected such that, following ignition of the composition, the composition is capable of producing a solid mass of ash (wicking composition) that increases the surface area of the chemical agent material and provides a site for combustion and/or thermal degradation of the chemical agent to occur.

Compositions, devices, and methods for destroying chemical warfare agents, independent of their chemical make-up, include (i) at least one reactive metal; (ii) at least one oxidizer; and (iii) a binder. In one embodiment, the self-sustaining reactive composition includes magnesium powder, iron oxide powder, potassium perchlorate powder, and silicone gel. In another embodiment, the self-sustaining reactive composition includes manganese powder, lithium perchlorate powder, lithium peroxide powder, and silicone gel. The reactive metal(s), oxidizer(s), binder, and their respective amounts, are selected such that, following ignition of the composition, the composition is capable of producing a solid mass of ash (wicking composition) that increases the surface area of the chemical agent material and provides a site for combustion and/or thermal degradation of the chemical agent to occur.

A system and method for chemically destroying, degrading and incinerating a fluorocarbon or fluorinated material, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with reduced emissions of gaseous PFC is provided. The method includes mixing the fluorinated material, a hydroxide base, and optionally a solvent system in a batch reactor to form a suspension. The PFAS and solvent system can be provided by AFFF. The reaction mixture is heated to a temperature ranging from about 25 C. to about 400 C. for about 0.5 hours to about 240 hours to defluorinate the fluorocarbons in the PFAS and produce a defluorinated waste product. More specifically, the method converts organic fluorine present in the PFAS to inorganic fluoride. Thus, the defluorinated waste product can be incinerated with reduced emissions of harmful gaseous PFCs.

A system and method for chemically destroying, degrading and incinerating a fluorocarbon or fluorinated material, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with reduced emissions of gaseous PFC is provided. The method includes mixing the fluorinated material, a hydroxide base, and optionally a solvent system in a batch reactor to form a suspension. The PFAS and solvent system can be provided by AFFF. The reaction mixture is heated to a temperature ranging from about 25 C. to about 400 C. for about 0.5 hours to about 240 hours to defluorinate the fluorocarbons in the PFAS and produce a defluorinated waste product. More specifically, the method converts organic fluorine present in the PFAS to inorganic fluoride. Thus, the defluorinated waste product can be incinerated with reduced emissions of harmful gaseous PFCs.

A system and method for destroying and disposing a fluorinated material, such as PFAS, with reduced emissions of gaseous PFC is provided. The method can be applied to soil or other environmental media containing the PFAS, for example at the site of the soil, either in a batch reactor or in situ. The method can include mixing PFAS, a hydroxide base, and optionally a solvent in the batch reactor to form a suspension. The reaction mixture can be heated to a temperature of 25 C. to 400 C. for about 0.5 hours to 240 hours to defluorinate the corresponding PFAS fluorocarbons and produce a defluorinated waste product. Alternatively, the suspension can be maintained for a sufficient time at room temperature. The hydroxide base and optional solvent can also be sprayed on the PFAS and optionally heated. The method converts organic fluorine present in the PFAS contaminated soil to inorganic fluoride.

A system and method for destroying and disposing a fluorinated material, such as PFAS, with reduced emissions of gaseous PFC is provided. The method can be applied to soil or other environmental media containing the PFAS, for example at the site of the soil, either in a batch reactor or in situ. The method can include mixing PFAS, a hydroxide base, and optionally a solvent in the batch reactor to form a suspension. The reaction mixture can be heated to a temperature of 25 C. to 400 C. for about 0.5 hours to 240 hours to defluorinate the corresponding PFAS fluorocarbons and produce a defluorinated waste product. Alternatively, the suspension can be maintained for a sufficient time at room temperature. The hydroxide base and optional solvent can also be sprayed on the PFAS and optionally heated. The method converts organic fluorine present in the PFAS contaminated soil to inorganic fluoride.

Materials for binding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are disclosed. A fluidic device comprising the materials for detection and quantification of PFAS in a sample is disclosed. The fluidic device may be configured for multiplexed analyses. Also disclosed are methods for sorbing and remediating PFAS in a sample. The sample may be groundwater containing, or suspected of containing, one or more PFAS.

Materials for binding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are disclosed. A fluidic device comprising the materials for detection and quantification of PFAS in a sample is disclosed. The fluidic device may be configured for multiplexed analyses. Also disclosed are methods for sorbing and remediating PFAS in a sample. The sample may be groundwater containing, or suspected of containing, one or more PFAS.

Methods for characterizing an environmental contaminant containing a PFAS formulation. The methods involve obtaining environmental samples with the PFAS formulation, creating a dilution series of the PFAS formulation, determining the static surface tension for each dilution, and plotting the static surface tension against the logarithm of the PFAS formulation concentration to generate an emergent behavior curve. Utilizing this curve, PFAS formulation concentration can be assigned within non-emergent dispersive, weakly emergent, and strongly emergent behavior concentration ranges, provides a systematic and efficient method for determining environmental sites most likely to shed additional PFAS into the environment. The emergent behavior curve also permits total PFAS formulation concentration to be effectively measured in real time, and to be converted into total PFAS TOPs concentration.