Fumigation System and Method

Abstract

A method and system for fumigating a material is disclosed. The method includes the steps of containing the material to be fumigated in a containment volume and forming a gas mixture in the containment volume, the gas mixture including at least a fumigation agent and an ambient gas originally present within the containment volume, wherein the partial pressure of the fumigation agent is elevated with respect to the ambient gas in the containment volume. The method further includes then maintaining a concentration of a fumigation agent within the containment volume for a required time to fumigate the material and then removing the fumigation agent from the containment volume.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for capturing a residual fumigation agent from a fumigation process involving the fumigation of a material in a containment volume, including:
 receiving an output fumigation gas mixture from the containment volume following the fumigation process, the fumigation gas mixture including a residual fumigant; and   capturing the residual fumigant from the output fumigation gas mixture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein capturing the residual fumigant from the output fumigation gas mixture includes absorbing the residual fumigant from the output fumigation gas mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein separating the residual fumigation agent includes feeding the output fumigation gas mixture through a liquid solvent to absorb the residual fumigation agent to form a loaded liquid solvent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further including separating the residual fumigation agent from the loaded liquid solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the liquid solvent following separation of the residual fumigation agent is recycled to absorb further residual fumigation agent in the output fumigation gas mixture. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the residual fumigation agent from the output fumigation gas mixture includes adsorbing the residual fumigation agent from the output fumigation gas mixture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the residual fumigation agent is adsorbed by a solid sorbent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the residual fumigation agent is adsorbed by the solid sorbent in a fluidized bed reactor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the residual fumigation agent is at an elevated partial pressure compared to an ambient gas in the containment volume. 
     
     
         10 . A method for abating the environmental impact of a residual fumigation agent from a fumigation process involving the fumigation of a material in a containment volume, including:
 receiving an output fumigation gas mixture from the containment volume following the fumigation process, the fumigation gas mixture including a residual fumigant; and   processing the residual fumigation agent from the output fumigation gas mixture to reduce its environmental impact.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein processing the residual fumigation agent includes decomposing the residual fumigation agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein decomposing the residual fumigation agent includes decomposing by a high temperature plasma module. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein processing the residual fumigation agent includes chemically converting the residual fumigation agent to form a stable compound having a reduced environmental impact.