ZINC- is a metal that is normally found in small amounts in nature. It is used in many commercial industries and can be released into the environment during mining and smelting (metal processing) activities. Mining, smelting metals (like zinc, lead and cadmium) and steel production, as well as burning coal and certain wastes can release zinc into the environment. A common use for zinc is to coat steel and iron as well as other metals to prevent rust and corrosion; this process is called galvanization. High levels of zinc in soil may result from the improper disposal of zinc-containing wastes from metal manufacturing industries and electric utilities. Industries also can release dust containing higher levels of zinc and thec dust will settle out onto the soil and surface waters. Rain and snow also can remove zinc dust from the air. Most of the zinc in lakes, rivers and streams does not dissolve, but settles to the bottom. Some fish in these waters may contain high levels of zinc. High levels of zinc in the soil, water and air are often found along with high levels of other metals like lead and cadmium.

NICKEL - Coins, jewelry, nickel-cadmium batteries, some paints and ceramics, magnetic tapes, computer components, stainless steel (sinks, cooking utensils, cutlery) are all products containing nickel. Nickel is an abundant element. It is naturally found in soils, waters, and foods, and is emitted from volcanoes. It mainly occurs in combination with arsenic, antimony and sulfur in the environment. Pure nickel is found alloyed with iron in many meteors and the earth's core is believed to contain substantial quantities. Combustion of coal and other fossil fuels leads to release of nickel to the atmosphere. Other sources of atmospheric nickel include emissions from mining and refining operations, steel production, nickel alloy production, electroplating, and municipal waste incineration.

MERCURY- is generated naturally in the environment from the degassing of the earth's crust and from volcanic emissions. It exists in three forms: elemental mercury and organic and inorganic mercury. Mining operations, coal fired power plants, chloralkali plants, and paper industries are significant producers of mercury. Atmospheric mercury is dispersed across the globe by winds and returns to the earth in rainfall, accumulating in aquatic food chains and fish in lakes. Mercury compounds were added to paint as a fungicide until 1990. These compounds are now banned; however, old paint supplies and surfaces painted with these old supplies still exist. Mercury continues to be used in thermometers, thermostats, and dental amalgam. Algaecides and childhood vaccines are also potential sources.

LEAD- is a very soft metal and was used in pipes, drains, and soldering materials for many years. Millions of homes built before 1940 still contain lead (e.g., in painted surfaces), leading to chronic exposure from weathering, flaking, chalking, and dust. Every year, industry produces about 2.5 million tons of lead throughout the world. Most of this lead is used for batteries. The remainder is used for cable coverings, plumbing, ammunition, and fuel additives. Other uses are as paint pigments and in PVC plastics, x-ray shielding, crystal glass production, pencils, and pesticides.

COPPER- Man has made use of copper as a plumbing material since the time of the Pharaohs and experts date earliest use of native copper at 7000 to 9000 B.C. According to the Copper Development Association, plumbing, heating and building wiring are the three most important uses of copper and its alloys. Copper occurs naturally in most soils and in fruits and vegetables. Both humans and animals need some copper in their diet. In humans, it helps in the production of blood hemoglobin. Copper is a pliable, malleable metal, having a bright reddish metallic luster and is an excellent conductor of both electricity and heat. Copper occurs naturally in a wide range of mineral deposits. It is used in making textiles, marine paints, electrical conductors and wires, plumbing fixtures and pipes, as well as coins and cooking utensils. Copper is very toxic to fungi and algae, which is why copper based - compounds are widely used as a wood preservative and fungicide.

CHROMIUM- is a naturally occurring metal which has a steel-grey color when pure. Chromium is a hard metal which has important application in the production of steel. The major sources of emissions to air and water may result from iron and steel producers, coal-fired power plants, leather tanning industries, chemical manufacturing industries (e.g. dyes for paints, rubber and plastic products), metal finishing industries (e.g. chrome plating), manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, wood, stone, clay and glass products, electrical and aircraft manufacturers, steam and air conditioning supply services, cement producing plants (cement contains chromium), incineration of refuse and sewage sludge, and combustion of oil and coal. Since chromium is also a naturally occurring element in the earth's crust it is also present in rocks, soils, sediments and some natural waters at low levels.

CADMIUM- Pure cadmium is a soft, silver-white metal found naturally in small quantities in air, water and soil. Cadmium is not mined, but it is a byproduct of the smelting of other metals such as zinc, lead and copper. Cadmium does not have a definite taste or odor. Cadmium is used in nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries and for metal plating. It also is used in some paints, PVC plastics and metal solders. Some metal containers, such as ice cube trays, pitchers, bowls or ceramic ware can contain small amounts of cadmium. The main industries that use cadmium are metal smelting, electronics, nuclear power, paint pigment production, and other metal working and refining companies. It can be found in soils because insecticides, fungicides, sludge, and commercial fertilizers that use cadmium are used in agriculture. Cadmium may be found in reservoirs containing shellfish. Cigarettes also contain cadmium. Lesser-known sources are dental alloys, electroplating, motor oil, and exhaust.

ARSENIC- is present in more than 200 mineral species, the most common of which is arsenopyrite. Arsenic is released into the environment by the smelting process of copper, zinc, and lead, as well as by the manufacturing of chemicals and glasses. Mining, smelting of non-ferrous metals and burning of fossil fuels are the major industrial processes that contribute to anthropogenic arsenic contamination of air, water and soil. Elemental arsenic is produced by reduction of arsenic trioxide with charcoal. It has been estimated that 70% of the world arsenic production is used in timber treatment as copper chrome arsenate, 22% in agricultural chemicals, and the remainder in glass, pharmaceuticals and non-ferrous alloys. Historically, use of arsenic-containing pesticides has left large tracts of agricultural land contaminated. The use of arsenic in the preservation of timber was also widespread historically.

 

 

M&W Solutions understands the role of Mankind in the natural environment.  Conservation is defined as “the wise use and management of a resource.”

M&W Solutions offers technologies and services that enable our clients to achieve the highest and best use of a particular property or business operation.  The following projects and case studies show how the MBS® Technology has been used:

Menu

East Providence Point Project, Brownfield Remediation:

"Molecular Bonding System (MBS®) Technology Plays Key Role in Licensee Winning 'Brownfield Project of the Year' Award".

M&W Solutions’ partner is Solucorp Industries.  Solucorp's Molecular Bonding System (MBS(R)) technology licensee, New York-based GeoNova Development Corp, have earned the "Brownfield's Project of the Year" Award from the Environmental Business Council of New England.

The award, which was presented at the Council's annual meeting in Newton, MA, cites the creative reuse and remediation of 27 acres of land along the Seekonk River, in one of the largest environmental cleanups in Rhode Island history. The property had suffered from more than a century of heavy industrial use and contamination from such metals as lead, arsenic and cadmium. GeoNova approached the city with a plan to restore the land utilizing the EPA proven MBS® metal remediation technology, so it could be used for townhouses, condominiums and single-family homes. The city received a $2-million Brownfield economic development grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and helped GeoNova acquire a $3- million low-interest government loan.

 

MBS® renders metal-contaminated soil inert and has passed the U.S. EPA Multiple Extraction Procedure (MEP) for 1,000 years, showing that Solucorp's technology permanently stops heavy metals from leaching into the environment. This process will also prevent hazardous metals waste from seeping into the river.  The MBS® Technology allows workers to neutralize the soil without

having to truck it away, thereby saving millions in cleanup costs."

 

Learn More About The Providence Rhode Island Site

Menu

Ravenna, Italy Project:

The MBS® Technology, patented throughout the whole world, renders possible the sensible and compatible development of areas till today left abandoned.  The MBS® Technology lowered the cost of reclamation by 60% for the Ravenna Project.  M&W Solutions objective is the health of all humanity and the betterment of the quality of life through the application of innovative technologies such as MBS® .

The operation of reclamation cost of approximately 5.5 million dollars and employed the innovative MBS® Technology greatly enhancing the project characteristics.  Thanks to the MBS® Technology that was used for the first time in Italy, 171,000 tons of contaminated soil with high concentrations of mercury, cadmium, chrome and other heavy metals were treated to safe levels. The contaminated soil was extremely dangerous to man and to the water table. The technology MBS® utilizes a chemical process of stabilization that renders inert the heavy metal contaminated soil and has surpassed the “Multiple Extraction Procedure” for 1000 years from the USEPA, for the protection of the environment.  The MBS® Technology will also impede metals remaining in upstream valleys which produce harmful runoff as it passes through the treated areas.  This residual soil material which stayed on site has the capacity to react and treat future runoff from and therefore prevent it from reaching the sea.

The MBS® Technology neutralizes metals in the soil without having to remove it by truck, allowing the saving of millions in the cost of reclamation.  The reclamation of the 27 hectare area Ravenna project has been realized thanks to the synergy and the cooperation between the innovative MBS® Technology supplied and the sensibility of the Province of Ravenna that has approved the Syndial project.

Learn More About The Ravenna, Italy Project.

Menu

Massachusetts, Gun Range Project:

Lead is deposited at shooting ranges as spent lead shot (pellets) at clay target shooting ranges, and spent lead bullets in soil berms at rifle/pistol shooting ranges. The lead is not insoluble in the soil environment, but is readily released in a soluble form. Soil lead concentrations >10,000 mg Pb kg-1 soil are commonly reported at shooting ranges around the world, including in New Zealand, USA, England, Germany and Scandanavia. For lead, the ANZECC guideline limit for further investigation is 300 mg kg-1.

It is the norm, rather than the exception, that shooting ranges are contaminated with lead.

Lead contaminated soil at a former skeet shooting range in Massachusetts was succesfuly stabilized and reused onsite using MBS® Technology in a solution that also solved the problem of closing a landfill.

-Check here the article from the "Soil & Groundwater Cleanup" magazine in July 1998 (1MB PDF)

-Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Letter (PDF)

Menu

MBS® Technology Case Studies:

Menu

MBS® Technology Treatment Results:

 

 

Menu

Brookhaven National Laboratory Test on Radioactive Mixed Waste:

 

 

Menu