Patent Number: 048448397
Section: claims

1. An in situ method of treating hazardous waste in a disposal site having hazardous waste randomly distributed therein comprising the steps of: (a) agitating a downwardly extending zone of particles of said hazardous waste at a first station on said site;  (b) maintaining said zone out of communication with the ambient atmosphere;  (c) analyzing vapors and gases which are liberated from said zone during said agitating to determine the identity of the toxic components therein;  (d) separating toxic gases and vapors identified by said sampling from said particles in said zone;  (e) detoxifying said separated toxic gases and vapors;  (f) injecting at least one treatment agent selected in accordance with the determined identity of the toxic components into said particles in said agitating zone;  (g) terminating said method when said sampling indicates said particles have been treated to a desired degree; and  (h) repeating said method at a second station at said disposal site that overlaps said first section.  injecting pressurized fluid into the agitating volume of soil. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said agitating step comprises rotating a plurality of adjacently disposed cutters downwardly through said zone. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said cutters include a pair of oppositely pitched blades to impart a downward and upward screwing action to said hazardous waste to obtain optimum homogenization thereof. 4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said treating step comprises injecting an agent into said zone to render water soluble toxic compounds therein insoluble. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of selecting a detoxifying agent that is effective in detoxifying particles of the composition found in the sample. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, sodium bisulfate and sodium hydrosulfite. 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of establishing a pH of from 8.0 to 11.0 in said zone to facilitate the oxidizing of soluble salts of toxic metals therein to a substantially insoluble state. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein an agent is injected into said zone to interact with water therein and to provide an exothermic reaction in which radioactive products in said zone are transformed to a solid water insoluble mass. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of said zones are arranged to provide an insoluble liner around the periphery and under said waste disposal site. 10. The method of claim 5, wherein said treating step comprises saponifying waste hydrocarbon products in said zone to an insoluble mass and oxidizing soluble salts of toxic metals present in said zone to a substantially insoluble state, collecting gases from said saponifying and oxidizing in a confined space, and scrubbing said gases in said confined space. 11. The method of claim 5, wherein said treating step comprises discharging a liquid media of microorganisms and a nutrient therefor into said zone, said microorganisms being of a species that biodegrades toxic substances in said zone to nontoxic material that remains in place in said zone. 12. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said treating step comprises subjecting said particles in said zone to the action of at least one plasma arc to define a solid, vitrified, insoluble mass of substantial strength. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of said zones are arranged to provide an insoluble liner around the periphery and under said waste disposal site. 14. The method of claim 4, wherein said treating step comprises discharging a plurality of liquid jets into said zone to further reduce said particles in size and provide a liquid seal that minimizes the flow of toxic gas from said zone. 15. The method of claim 5, in which said hazardous waste may contain radium 226 and thorium 230 from which radon is emitted due to radioactive decay, with said agent being added in an amount sufficient to precipitate said radium and thorium to transform them and said hazardous waste into a solid, inert insoluble mass of such high density that the rate of migration of radon therethrough is slowed to the extent that the major portion of the radon transforms to a solid radionuclide element prior to reaching the ambient atmosphere to contaminate the latter, with waste radionuclide element being rendered insoluble by contact with said agent and remaining in place in said insoluble mass. 16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said pressurized fluid is heated. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said pressurized fluid is steam. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein said pressurized fluid is hot air. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein said volume of soil is agitated by a rotary cutter and said pressurized fluid is injected into said volume of soil near the lower end of the volume of agitating soil. 21. The method of claim 17, wherein said volatile gases are captured in a shroud and further comprising the step of maintaining said shroud in sealing contact with the soil surface during said method to prevent escape to atmosphere of said gases collected in said shroud. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said gases are scrubbed with wash liquid and contaminant-laden wash liquid is conducted to automatic equipment for determining selected contaminants in said wash liquid and selected physical properties thereof and generating computer-usable data representative of said properties. 23. The method of claim 22 comprising the further steps of: routing said acquired data to a treatment menu programmer interface; determining therein the amount of detoxifying agent necessary to treat the detected contaminants; and generating therein a signal which triggers a feeder for the programmed feeding of selected detoxifying agent to detoxify the soil in situ. 24. The method of claim 23, comprising the further steps of: using motor driven rotary cutter means to agitate the soil; collecting information signals representative of the power load of the cutter drive motor and vertical travel distance of the cutter means; passing said signals to said treatment menu programmer; and using said information signals to determine preferred treatment of contaminated soil.