Technique for rapid prediction of long-term hydrophobic organic contaminant desorption rates

US6546341B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN · US

Inventors

• Walter Weber · Ann Arbor, US
• Martin Johnson · St. Petersburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 8, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 8, 2003
• Expiry date: Aug 24, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S210/902
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A laboratory technique for rapidly predicting the long-term hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) desorption behavior in a contaminated soil or sediment useful for planning remediation schemes and/or assessing alternative remediation endpoint decisions employs a superheated water extraction technique for rapid prediction of long-term HOC desorption. The proposed method has great practical significance because desorption at ambient temperatures requires months or years, while high temperature experiments are accomplished in hours or days.