A closed-loop system and method for heating of target contaminant zones having environmental contaminants of concern present in the groundwater and the soil by thermal conduction, and subsequent enhancements of physical, biological and chemical processes to attenuate, remove and degrade contaminants in the target contaminant treatment zones, is disclosed. The system and method collects solar or other heat and transfers the heat via a closed-loop and a set of borehole exchangers to subsurface soil in the proximity of and/or directly to the target contaminant treatment zones. The target contaminant treatment zone may comprise contaminated soil, contaminated groundwater in an aquifer, or industrial waste comprising water and/or solids. Solar collectors or heat exchangers capturing waste heat from industrial processes may be used as the heat source.

The present invention relates to a process to produce high purity strontium sulfate and strontium carbonate from subterranean brines. The present disclosure also relates to chemical precipitations of subterranean brines to isolate strontium from divalent cations, such as calcium and barium. Such precipitations include the use of sulfate and subsequent solids separations and washing of the precipitate. In a latter step in the strontium carbonate process, a metathesis reaction with a carbonate is performed upon the strontium sulfate to produce strontium carbonate while allowing optional recycling of the sulfate. An additional rinse with acid or water of the strontium sulfate may be performed prior to metathesis to increase the purity of the resulting strontium carbonate.

The invention regards a method for the synthesis of Zero-Valent metal micro- and nanoparticles, in which a first aqueous solution (SOL.sub.1) of a salt of a noble metal (A) is mixed with a third neutral or basic aqueous solution (SOL.sub.3) of an inorganic sulphur-based reducing agent (C), and wherein the mixture thus obtained is added to a second aqueous solution (SOL.sub.2) of a salt of a transition metal (B) and a second aliquot of the inorganic reducing agent; such method provides that the amount of the inorganic reducing agent (C) is in a stoichiometric excess in the reduction reaction to Zero-Valent of both the salt of the noble metal (A) contained in the first solution (SOL.sub.1) and the salt of the transition metal (B) contained in the second solution (SOL.sub.2). The invention also regards Zero-Valent micro and nanoparticles, preferably bimetallic, obtained with the above method. More generally, the invention regards a method for reduction of a transition metal (B) to Zero-Valent metal by an inorganic reducing agent (C), by prior or concurrent reduction of a noble metal (A), wherein the amount of inorganic reducing agent (C) is in stoichiometric excess in the reduction reaction to Zero-Valent of both the noble metal (A) and the transition metal (B). The present invention finds preferred and advantageous application in the remediation and/or the treatment of contaminated water containing at least one polluting substance. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that the noble metal (A) is silver, that the transition metal (B) is iron and/or manganese, and the inorganic reducing agent (C) is chosen from borohydrides, dithionites and bisulphites.

An encapsulated reactant(s) having at least one encapsulant and at least one reactant, and methods of making and using the encapsulated reactant(s), are is presently provided. An outermost encapsulant is substantially nonreacting, impermeable and nondissolving with water. The reactant(s) contribute to at least one reaction with contaminants in environmental media rendering the environmental media less harmful.

A method of treating a landfill leachate containing ammoniacal nitrogen and phosphate by mixing with seawater to precipitate magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) also known as struvite. Effects of pH, temperature, stirring speed, and magnesium to ammonia molar ratio on leachate properties such as COD, ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphate content, color, turbidity, amount of magnesium, iron and zinc are disclosed. The method provides high removal efficiency for removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphate, COD, color and turbidity. The method provides a cost-effective system for treatment of landfill leachate and recovery of MAP.

The present disclosure relates to a device and method for degrading chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) in polluted groundwater. A preparation method for each of glass tubes and the method for degrading CHCs are as follows: uniformly mixing 55-85 wt % of Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, 5-15 wt % of B.sub.2O.sub.3, and 10-30 wt % of SrCO.sub.3, putting into a corrosion resistant crucible, holding at 1,050-1,300° C. for 15-45 min, forming into a glass tube, and holding the glass tube at 200-400° C. for 1-3 h, followed by annealing; soaking the inner wall of the glass tube for 10-30 min with a HCl solution with a concentration of 0.02-0.2 mol/L, washing with water, and providing an ultraviolet lamp to obtain a self-cleaning glass tube; guiding CHC-containing groundwater to the self-cleaning glass tube, turning on the ultraviolet lamp, and carrying out ultraviolet irradiation for 1-8 h, thereby effectively removing the CHCs.

Disclosed are stable zero-valent metal and oxidized black carbon admixtures and their use, to catalyze rapid reductive degradation reactions in aqueous solutions. The compositions and remediation methods are used in the non-explosive neutralization and decomposition of ammonium nitrate.

Methods and systems including processing dredge spoils to reclaim soil therefrom. The techniques may include a feed system for receiving dredge spoils, a dewatering system for removing water from the dredge spoils, and a grinder/mixer for grinding the dredge spoils from the dewatering system while mixing the dredge spoils with one or more additional materials.

Systems and methods for removing heavy metals such as selenium from wastewater with zero valent iron media. Air may be introduced directly into a reaction zone of a fluidized bed reactor filled with the media to catalyze treatment.

Provided is a hollow fiber membrane module comprising: a hollow fiber membrane bundle; a housing; a first adhesively-fixed portion and a second adhesively-fixed portion configured to adhesively fix, at both ends of each of the hollow fiber membranes, with a potting material: the hollow fiber membranes to each other, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle to an inner wall of the housing; and a regulating member 40 configured to regulate arrangement of the hollow fiber membranes, wherein: on an end face outer than the housing of at least one of the first adhesively-fixed portion or the second adhesively-fixed portion, when a range of a circle having a center at a center of the end face and a radius equal to ½ of a radius of the end face is defined as a central portion, and a range other than the central portion is defined as a circumferential portion, a ratio of an area ratio of the regulating member 40 and the potting material to an entire area of the central portion to an area ratio of the regulating member 40 and the potting material to an entire area of the circumferential portion is 0.8 or more and 1.2 or less.