What happens to the PCBs, mercury, lead, etc?
A. A glass furnace system would be capable of destroying or removing all of the sediment’s contaminants. Glass furnaces typically operate at 2900 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, all organics (including PCB’s) are destroyed. Low vapor point metals such as mercury and lead evaporate and would be caught in downstream air quality control equipment such as a scrubber and carbon filter. Because the glass furnace is very efficient and has extremely low quantities of exhaust gas, it is relatively economic to install an extensive state-of-the-art control systems to capture these metals. The remaining metals contained in the sediment are captured in the glass, and are permanently stabilized in its ceramic matrix.
