Degradation of organochloride pesticides by molten salt oxidation at IPEN: spin-off nuclear activities

Nuclear spin-off has at least two dimensions. It may provide benefits to the society such as enlarge knowledge base, strengthen infrastructure and benefit technology development. Besides this, to emphasize that some useful technologies elapsed from nuclear activities can affect favorably the public opinion about nuclear energy. In this paper is described a technology developed initially by the Rockwell Int. company in the USA more than thirty years ago to solve some problems of nuclear fuel cycle wastes. For different reasons the technology was not employed. In the last years the interest in the technology was renewed and IPEN has developed his version of the method applicable mainly to the safe degradation of hazardous wastes. This study was motivated by the world interest in the development of advanced processes of waste decomposition, due to the need of safer decomposition processes, particularly for the POPs - persistent organic pollutants and particularly for the organ chlorides. A tendency observed at several countries is the adoption of progressively more demanding legislation for the atmospheric emissions, resultants of the waste decomposition processes. The suitable final disposal of hazardous organic wastes such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), pesticides, herbicides and hospital residues constitutes a serious problem. In some point of their life cycles, these wastes should be destroyed, in reason of the risk that they represent for the human being, animals and plants. The process involves using a chemical reactor containing molten salts, sodium carbonate or some alkaline carbonates mixtures to decompose the organic waste. The decomposition is performed by submerged oxidation and the residue is injected below the surface of a turbulent salt bath along with the oxidizing agent. Decomposition of halogenated compounds, among which some pesticides, is particularly effective in molten salts. The process presents properties such as intrinsically safe control of organ chlorine compounds emissions. This work describes the process developed at IPEN for complete thermal decomposition of hazardous wastes through oxidation submerged in molten salts. (author)