Introduction

DECONTAMINATION OF CHROMIUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL IN HAWAII

DECONTAMINATION OF CHROMIUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL IN HAWAII

Technical Report No. 159
DECONTAMINATION OF CHROMIUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL IN HAWAII

Gordon L. Dugan, Henry K. Gee, L. Stephen Lau
March 1984

ABSTRACT
Approximately 1 841 m3 (65,000 ft3) of chromium-contaminated soil, classified as hazardous waste (>5 mg/l chromium extract concentration as measured by the EP toxicity test) was found near the new pipe shop at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on Oahu. Hawaii. Unless treated to a safe level, the contaminated soil required disposal in a Class 1 landfill. the closest being in the continental United States. Based on simple laboratory and pilot plant procedures, the project proved that chromium could be effectively leached from the soil to a safe level by using a nearly 1:4 weighted soil to water ratio; reducing the pH to 2.5; adding sodium metabisulfite to chemically reduce chromium from Cr+6 to Cr+3; and then raising the pH to 8.5 to precipitate the chromium from solution. A full-scale operation, following the technology that was developed. successfully treated the soil to a safe level and subsequent testing of the treated soil at the disposal (landfill) site confirmed the effectiveness of the treatment operation.