Project 4: Pyrolytic conversion of PAHs in contaminated sediments into char to eliminate toxicity and enhance soil fertility

The project focuses on developing a sustainable thermal remediation technology for Superfund sites to rapidly and reliably treat soils contaminated with priority pollutants, including activated PAHs. A critical goal is to significantly decrease energy requirements for thermal treatment. Previous work identified a new pyrolytic degradation pathway converting PAHs to stable, non-toxic char, recognized the catalytic role of soil components like clays, and developed a combined mathematical and experimental approach to analyze soil behavior and contaminant interactions during pyrolytic treatment. The project will advance molecular-level understanding of PAH degradation in pyro-catalytic treatment systems and enable predictive understanding of contaminant/soil interactions and reaction mechanisms to inform the design of thermal treatment processes with lower energy requirements, higher throughput capacity, and wider applicability.