# Project 5: Pyolytic conversion of PAHs in contaminated sediments into char to eliminate toxicity and enhance soil fertility

> **NIH NIH P42** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $276,064

## Abstract

Project Summary
There is a pressing need for technological innovation that leads to more efficient and more sustainable
remediation of contaminated sediments at Superfund sites. This project will develop a sustainable remediation
technology to rapidly treat sediments and soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and
related polyaromatic compounds (PACs), including activated PAHs byproducts of environmental
transformations, in a manner that completely removes the associated health risks while adding value to the
impacted media. Our hypothesis is that pyrolysis of contaminated soils/sediments under carefully selected
conditions will reduce the concentration of all organic priority contaminants to below regulatory levels, thus
completely eliminating toxicity, while restoring soil fertility to facilitate ecosystem restoration and re-greening
efforts. Furthermore, different treatment objectives (e.g., regulatory compliance, detoxification, and soil fertility
restoration) need not be mutually exclusive and could be simultaneously achieved by selecting appropriate
pyrolytic treatment intensity (controlled through pyrolysis temperature and residence time). The Specific Aims
of this project are: 1. Demonstrate that thermal pyrolysis will reliably remove PAHs and PACs present in
Superfund site sediments and eliminate their toxicity. 2. Characterize the reaction mechanisms and end products
to guide safe and cost-efficient application. Specifically, we will use thermogravimetry and evolved gas analyses
to elucidate the physical and chemical processes occurring during pyrolysis. The possible catalytic effects of soil
components like clays will be systematically studied, and surface analysis techniques will be used to determine
the chemical composition and spatial distribution of pyrolysis products (like carbonaceous compounds).
Finally, we will carefully characterize the treated soils to determine how their key properties (like surface
chemistry, chemical stability, porosity, density, water-holding capacity, and ability to hold plant-available
water) are affected by the chosen pyrolysis conditions (contact time, temperature, %O2, moisture, etc.) to
inform reaction mechanisms and guide reactor optimization efforts. 3. Identify the operating conditions that
maximize the benefits of soil pyrolysis (PAH & PAC removal and improved soil fertility) while minimizing associated
costs. Thus, the proposed studies will build on our recent discovery that pyrolysis can add value to soil
contaminated with petrochemical wastes (including heavy petroleum hydrocarbons) by converting these
pollutants to char-like material. The expected benefits are significant. We anticipate that pyrolysis will: (a) rapidly
and reliably decrease PAH and PAC concentrations below regulatory thresholds; (b) add agricultural value
to the treated soils by improving fertility and drainage; and (c) contribute to a positive public image, facilitating
regulatory acceptance from sta...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841263
- **Project number:** 1P42ES027725-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Pedro J Alvarez
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $276,064
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841263, Project 5: Pyolytic conversion of PAHs in contaminated sediments into char to eliminate toxicity and enhance soil fertility (1P42ES027725-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841263. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*