Processes For Reducing Environmental Availability of Environmental Pollutants

1 . A process for reducing environmental availability of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in a substance comprising one or more environmental pollutants, which process comprises

adding and/or applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to said substance, wherein the sorbent comprises sulfur, one or more halogens selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and/or iodine, and one or more substrate materials, wherein the halogen in the sorbent is from a source selected from elemental halogens, hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides,

thereby reducing environmental availability of at least a portion of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

2 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the sorbent comprises a substrate material selected from one or more carbonaceous materials, or wherein sorbent comprises a substrate material selected from one or more inorganic materials.

3 . A process according to claim 2 wherein the carbonaceous material is activated carbon.

4 . (canceled)

5 . A process according to claim 2 wherein the inorganic material is selected from inorganic oxides, natural zeolites, CaCO 3 , and clay minerals.

6 . A process according to claim 5 wherein the inorganic material is selected from chabazite, silica, kaolinite, and bentonite.

7 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur is a sorbent containing bromine and sulfur.

8 . (canceled)

9 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the sorbent is an activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur.

10 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the sorbent has a halogen content of about 0.1 to about 20 wt % calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

11 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the amount of sulfur in the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur is in the range of about 0.1 wt % to about 15 wt % relative to the total weight of the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

12 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the substance comprising said environmental pollutants is a solid, wherein adding and/or applying the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the solid comprises:

(a) injecting a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into the solid;

(b) applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a surface of the solid;

(e) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with at least a portion of a surface of the solid;

(d) placing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur in a vacuum well in which the solid is treated;

(e) adding a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a contained solid;

(f) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the solid;

(g) adding a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a reactive barrier; and/or

(h) forming a reactive barrier containing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

13 . (canceled)

14 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the substance comprising said environmental pollutants is a liquid, wherein adding and/or applying the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the liquid comprises:

(a) injecting a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into the liquid;

(b) applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the surface of the liquid;

(c) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the liquid;

(d) passing the liquid over a fixed bed comprising a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur;

(e) passing the liquid through a filter comprising a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur;

(f) pumping the liquid through a fixed bed or column containing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur; and/or

(g) adding a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a contained volume of liquid.

15 . (canceled)

16 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the substance comprising said environmental pollutants is a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid, wherein adding and/or applying the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the combination comprises:

(a) injecting a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into the combination;

(b) applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a surface of the combination;

(c) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with at least a portion of a surface of the combination;

(d) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the combination;

(e) placing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur in a vacuum well in which the combination is treated;

(f) adding a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a contained combination;

(g) covering a surface of the substance with a layer comprising a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur;

(h) placing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into a cap;

(i) adding a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a reactive barrier;

(j) forming a reactive barrier containing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur; and/or

(k) placing a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur within a geotextile mat.

17 . (canceled)

18 . A process according to claim 12 wherein the solid is soil, wherein the adding and/or applying comprises:

(a) injecting a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into the solid;

(b) applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a surface of the solid; and/or

(c) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with at least a portion of a surface of the solid.

19 . (canceled)

20 . A process according to claim 16 , wherein the combination is sediment wherein the adding and/or applying comprises:

(a) injecting a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur into the combination;

(b) applying a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur to a surface of the combination;

(e) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with at least a portion of a surface of the combination; and/or

(d) combining a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the combination.

21 . (canceled)

22 . A process according to claim 1 wherein the substance is soil or sediment, and wherein the sorbent containing halogen and sulfur is an activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur.

23 . A sorbent containing halogen and sulfur, wherein the sorbent is formed by:

A) i) contacting a halogen-containing compound and a substrate material to form a halogen-containing substrate material, and ii) contacting the halogen-containing substrate material with a sulfur source; or

B) contacting a halogen-containing substrate material and a sulfur source; or

C) i) contacting a halogen-containing compound and a sulfur source to form a halogen-sulfur mixture, and ii) contacting the halogen-sulfur mixture and a substrate material;

to form a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

24 . A sorbent as in claim 23 wherein the halogen is bromine, the substrate material is a carbonaceous material, the halogen-containing compound is elemental bromine, and the sulfur source is elemental sulfur.

25 . A sorbent as in claim 24 wherein the sorbent is formed as in A), and the elemental bromine is in gaseous form; or wherein the sorbent is formed as in C), and the elemental bromine is in liquid form.

26 . A sorbent as in claim 23 wherein the substrate material is activated carbon.

27 . A process for forming a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur, which process comprises:

A) i) contacting a halogen-containing compound and a substrate material to form a halogen-containing substrate material, and

ii) contacting the halogen-containing substrate material with a sulfur source; or

B) contacting a halogen-containing substrate material and a sulfur source; or

C) i) contacting a halogen-containing compound and a sulfur source to form a halogen-sulfur mixture, and

ii) contacting the halogen-sulfur mixture and a substrate material;

to obtain a sorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

28 . A process as in claim 27 wherein the halogen is bromine, the substrate material is a carbonaceous material, the halogen-containing compound is elemental bromine, and the sulfur source is elemental sulfur.

29 . A process as in claim 28 wherein the sorbent is formed as in A), and the elemental bromine is in gaseous form; or wherein the sorbent is formed as in C), and the elemental bromine is in liquid form.

30 . A process as in claim 27 wherein the contacting of the sulfur source and substrate material in A) or B), or the contacting the halogen-sulfur mixture and a substrate material in C) is conducted at one or more temperatures in the range of about 75° C. to about 700° C.

31 . A process as in claim 27 wherein the substrate material is activated carbon.