The<b><i>in situ</i></b>corona for treatment of organic contaminants in soils

Abstract

The in situ corona is a new technology for destroying a variety of hazardous organic contaminants in soils. Laboratory experiments have revealed the basic physical processes involved in the initiation and operation of treatment. This paper also presents a theoretical model for the in situ corona that agrees with laboratory results. In the in situ corona, resistive dry bands are formed and translated through the entire volume of soil to be treated. Within the dry bands, an electrical discharge similar in nature to an ordinary gas-phase corona is maintained, destroying organic compounds. Now that we have established a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon in the laboratory, the process may next be scaled up to large treatment volumes in the field.