Luis Salvatella, Full Professor of Organic ChemistryPOPs landfills as a major threat to freshwater: Research on upcycling "pure" HCH waste

researcher at , a joint institute of and

Origin of HCH stockpilesLindane was produced as an insecticide for more than 50 years.Production of 1 kg of lindane generated ca. 10 kg of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH).

LINDANE

WASTE WASTE WASTE WASTE WASTE

WASTE WASTE WASTE WASTE WASTE

East Germany

Data from: J. Vijgen et al., Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2011, 18, 152.

J. Vijgen, The Legacy of Lindane HCH Isomer Production, IHPA, 2006.

France NetherlandsJ. Vijgen et al., Environm. Pollut. 2019, 248, 696-705.

Romania

HCH is classified as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP).HCH releases are banned by the Stockholm Convention (implemented by European regulation).HCH was stockpiled as a waste close to the lindane production plants.HCH stockpiles are located around the World, mostly in the European Union.1.9 Mt HCH stockpiles are known. 2-5 Mt additional HCH stockpiles are suspected.

Luis Salvatella, Full Professor of Organic ChemistryPOPs landfills as a major threat to freshwater: Research on upcycling "pure" HCH waste

researcher at , a joint institute of and

HCH landfills as a threat to freshwater

light water air time

solid and liquid wastehttps://www.heraldo.es/multimedia/imagenes/aragon/inquinosa-40-anos-de-contaminacion-junto-al-rio-gallego/16/

B. H. Kueper et al. (eds.), Chlorinated Solvent Source Zone Remediation, Springer, 2014.

DNAPL

Most HCH stockpiles were landfilled. Buried liquid waste-containing metallic barrels rust and liberate contents in theunderground. Solid and liquid wastes (along with physical and chemical agents) generate a Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid(DNAPL) in HCH landfills. DNAPL plumes migrate slowly by gravity and diffusion through the underground and can reach therivers. Because of high density and viscosity, DNAPL extraction is very difficult.

DNAPL

Luis Salvatella, Full Professor of Organic ChemistryPOPs landfills as a major threat to freshwater: Research on upcycling "pure" HCH waste

researcher at , a joint institute of and

HCH pollution is very close to you

ca. 150 000 t HCH waste

INQUINOSA plant (Sabiñánigo)

ZaragozaInstituto Geográfico Nacional

Palacio de Congresos

Gállego riverZaragoza

Sardaslandfill

Bailínlandfill

Sabiñánigo

Google Maps

100 mINQUINOSA

plant

Sabiñánigo

HCH landfills from the INQUINOSA plant(Sabiñánigo) are very close to the Gállegoriver, which flows into the Ebro river inZaragoza, 5 km from here. Several actionshave been taken against DNAPL, but150.000 t of solid HCH waste still remain.

HCH plume

Luis Salvatella, Full Professor of Organic ChemistryPOPs landfills as a major threat to freshwater: Research on upcycling "pure" HCH waste

researcher at , a joint institute of and

Research on safe inexpensive methods to upcycle HCH

benzene1,2,4-trichlorobenzene

Pd/C

isopropanol acetone

Hindenburg disaster

sodium chloride

Hydrogen is a very dangerous gas.

Sodium hydroxide treatment of HCH readily yieldstrichlorobenzenes, dangerous organochlorinecompounds. Subsequent replacement of chlorine byhydrogen can be achieved by using hydrogen gas inthe presence of a catalyst.

Use of a hydrogen precursor (e. g., isopropanol) is being investigated.

Regional Minister of Rural Development and Sustainability: Order of 27 October 2017, Order of 27 March 2018 (extended in 2019)

Project: Waste as Raw Materials: Chemical Transformations in Circular Economy (WARM) (RTI2018-093431-B-I00)

"Building Europe from Aragon" (reference research group E37_17R)

Thanks to funds from: Dr. José Antonio Mayoral

Dr. José Ignacio García†

Dr. José María FraileDr. Luis SalvatellaDra. Elísabet PiresDra. Clara I. Herrerías

Dr. Fernando López-GallegoDr. Eugenio VispeLena GilNicoll P. ZeballosSara GraciaRaquel Lumbreras

Researchers:

Benzene is finally obtained as a useful industrial compound.

sodium hydroxide

Further research is requiredto ensure freshwater quality.