MASS BALANCE OF REACTION PRODUCTS FROM IRRADIATED TCE VAPOR

Stephen M. Matthews and Francis T.S. Wang Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

and

Theodore Mill, Minggong Su and C.C. David Yao SRI International

ABSTRACT Trichloroethylene (TCE) vapor, at a concentration

of 3000 ppmv in synthetic air, was sealed in Tedlar bags and irradiated with a 3.7 MeV electron beam. Bags of dry vapor and vapor at 90% relative humidity were irradiated. Doses up to 11 megarads (1 1 MR) were applied. Each bag was chemically analyzed for reaction products and a mass balance of the chlorine and carbon was obtained within the 11 MR dose range.

The results of these radiolysis experiments and chemical analysis show that, given the proper treatment, the TCE concentration is reduced to below detection limit and the reaction products of the organic carbon and chlorine are carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide ( C Q , chlorine gas (Cl,) and hydrochloric acid (HC1). No detectable amounts of dichloroacetyl chloride (DCAC) or phosgene (PG) remained in the sample after proper treatment. DCAC and PG were found only as intermediary oxidation products of the TCE.

High energy ionizing radiation, as electron beams and bremsstrahlung, is a new treatment technology for destroying toxic compounds and hazardous wastes. A demonstration of complete destruction of organic products, using this treatment at standard temperature and pressure, is expected to help implement the use of this technology.

3E4

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF PLASMA SCIENCE TECHNIQUES FOR WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

Dennis Pavl 1 k Science and Technology Center

Westinghouse Electr ic Corpora t ion

The h is tor ica l evolution of water treatment tech- niques and t h e i r impact on man and his environment are presented. Ancient man recognized the relation: ship between good water and good health. However, i t was n o t unt i l the l a t e 1800's that man's own contribution t o the pollution of water via biolog- ical and chemical contamination of the water stream was recognized as having adverse a f fec ts on water qual i ty . Since t h a t time v i r tua l ly every nation has adopted laws and regulations t o ensure tha t safe sources of unpolluted water are available t o i t s c i t i z e n s . In the United States , water qual i ty i s governed by the Clean Water Act o f 1972 administered a t the federal level by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . Further, each s t a t e has established i t s equivalent agency which administers i t s own laws and regulat ions.

Different biological and chemical biohazards present in the water system are discussed. Biological con- taminants include various types of viruses, bacteria, fungi i , molds, yeasts , algae, amoebas, and parasi tes . Chemical contaminates include elemental heavy metals and other organic and inorganic compounds which in te r fe re with normal biological functions,

Conventional water treatments for both consumption and sewage ef f luent commonly employ four different pr incipals : mechanical f i l t r a t i o n , quiescent gravity se t t1 ing, biological oxidation, and chemical t r e a t - ment. Although these techniques have great ly reduced the incidence of water-borne disease recent s tudies suggest t h a t more effect ive means of eliminating biohazards a re needed. In addition, chemical treatment . techniques leave residual chemicals which can be toxic t o humans and other aquatic l i f e .

Regulatory requirements f o r more aggressive t r e a t - ment and elimination of residual contaminants present a s ign i f icant opportunity f o r the appl i - cation of various forms of electromagnetic radiation techniques.

A comparison between conventional techniques and more advanced methods using various forms of electromagnetic radiat ion i s discussed.

3E5

Energetic Plasma p s for thp Destruct ion of C h m W-

Christopher B. Wallace BDM Federal, Inc.

1 SO1 Randolph Road SE Albuquerque NM 87106

The United States and the Former Soviet Union have between them more than 65,000 tons of chemical warfare agents which must be destroyed under present treaty agreements by the year 2004. This is an enormous task, one that will not be easily ncccmp!ished wi:hin the allotted timeframe with existsing demilitarization technologies.

The US Army is the designated executive agent for disposal of the US CW stockpile. At the request of the Army, the National Research Council initially studied the overdl disposal program and endorsed the Army's choice of incineration of agents and thermal treatment of energetics, metal parts and containers in a 1984 report.

As a result of growing interest in alternatives to the baseline incineration technology, Congress in 1992 instructed the Army to recommend disposal technologies for all storage sites. This recommendation was to be based on two NRC studies. The first was completed in late 1993. This was the first time plasma arc and ionizing radiation processes were reviewed in the context of chemical munition destruction [l], however, no report has yet examined the potential which energetic plasmas and beams may offer to solve this problem.

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview of the chemical agent disposai problem and to review the possibility which energetic plasmas and charged particle beams have to address the disposal problem. The paper will concentrate on: plasma and radiochemical effects involved, technology and system requirements, key advantages which high energy plasma and beam technology may provide to the destruction process (reduced cost and residual effluent contamination), and research needs which must be met i n order for the technology to gain acceptance., We focus our presentation by examining the cspabiliry of the RHEPP system (developed by SNL), or other similar technology, to become all. or part. of a CW agent disposal process.

[I] Alternative Technologies for the Destruction of Aeents and Munitions, National Academy Press, 1993

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