About 200 government and business representatives, scientists and engineers
interested in NASA Kennedy Space Center’s new environmental clean-up
technologies will tour the Launch Complex-34 remediation site at the Cape
Canaveral Spaceport Nov. 7.

Representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will also be
attending. The two technologies are being demonstrated as part of the EPA’s
Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program.

Areas of LC-34 were polluted during the early history of the space program
with solvents used to clean Apollo rocket parts. The solvents are classified
as dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs).

Left untreated in the ground, DNAPLs can contaminate fresh water sources.
The touring group of national and international participants will view
remediation demonstration zones at the L-34 site. They will hear
presentations on two of the remediation technologies being used. One of the
technologies is now available for licensing.

“What makes these new technologies so attractive is that they are relatively
affordable and easy to implement,” said Dr. Jackie Quinn, the NASA
environmental engineer who heads the project. “These spin-offs could help
clean up polluted areas across the nation and the world.”

The technologies are Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron (EZVI) and bioaugmentation
using KB1, a naturally occurring microbial species. Quinn is a co-inventor
of EZVI with three University of Central Florida professors and a graduate
student. KB1 was developed by GeoSyntec and the University of Toronto.
Simply put, the EZVI technology uses iron particles in an environmentally
friendly oil and water base to neutralize DNAPLs. Through KB1
bioaugmentation, microorganisms are added to a DNAPL-contaminated site to
create the right mix of microorganisms that will render contaminating
chemicals harmless.

Thousands of sites across the world face problems with DNAPL contamination.
The EPA has reported that DNAPLs are present at 60 to 70 percent of all
sites on the Superfund National Priorities List.

DNAPL contamination sites may include those created by dye and paint
manufacturers, dry cleaners, chemical manufacturers, metal cleaning and
degreasing facilities, leather-tanning facilities, pharmaceutical
manufacturers, adhesive and aerosol manufacturers and government facilities.