Dianne Gates, Robert Siegrist and Steven Cline conducted laboratory studies to evaluate an innovative treatment process for contaminated soils and sediments. The researchers' goal was to develop a method to treat soil contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. These hazardous compounds are a continuing environmental concern and are commonly found at gasoline and solvent spill sites and coal gas manufacturing facilities. Soil contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds were treated with chemical solutions (weak hydrogen peroxide and near saturation potassium permanganate), resulting in the reduction of pre-treatment levels of these compounds by as much as 99 percent.
Dianne Gates is a research staff member in the Environmental Sciences Division. She joined ORNL three years ago after receiving a Ph.D. degree in environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the principal investigator on two research projects evaluating physical/chemical methods to treat contaminated soils, sediments and groundwater. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Water Environment Federation.
Siegrist was named chair of the Task Force on Contaminated Sites under the International Committee of the Water Environment Federation in November 1994. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Publications Committee; the DOE Planning Committee for In Situ Remediation Technology Development; and the Water Environment Federation's Groundwater and Hazardous Waste Committees.
Cline is a research associate in the Environmental Sciences Division. He joined the division staff in 1993 after receiving a master's degree in civil engineering from West Virginia University. His current projects include In Situ Chemical Oxidation of VOC/SVOC Contaminated Soil and the in situ vitrification treatability study at ORNL. He is a member of the Water Environment Federation and an associate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, one of the Department of Energy's multiprogram national research and development facilities, is managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, a Lockheed Martin company, which also manages the Oak Ridge K-25 Site and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant.