Method and Apparatus for Treating Contaminated Fluid Medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for a method of filtering pollutants from a contaminated fluid stream. The method includes disposing unprepared humic shale in a container, contacting the unprepared humic shale with an aqueous solution, maintaining the aqueous composition in contact with the unprepared humic shale for a period of time, drying the humic shale, and then placing polluted water in contact with the humic shale until pollutants have been removed from the fluid.

1 . A method of treating a contaminated fluid, comprising:
 disposing unprepared humic shale in a container;   contacting the unprepared humic shale with an aqueous solution;   maintaining the aqueous solution in contact with the unprepared humic material for a predetermined period of time;   removing the aqueous solution from contact with the unprepared humic material;   drying the unprepared humic shale after the aqueous solution is removed from contact with the unprepared humic shale thereby converting the unprepared humic shale into prepared humic shale; and   after drying the unprepared humic shale, placing the contaminated fluid in contact with the humic shale for a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the unprepared humic shale is placed in contact with the aqueous solution for a period of 6-12 months. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unprepared humic shale is placed in contact with the aqueous solution for a period of 30 to 90 days. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the aqueous solution is in contact with the unprepared humic shale, the aqueous solution comprises a temperature greater than the ambient temperature about the unprepared humic shale. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the aqueous solution is in contact with the unprepared humic shale, the unprepared humic shale is heated to a temperature greater than ambient temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the unprepared humic shale is dried for a period of 3-5 years. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unprepared humic shale is dried for a period of 30 days. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unprepared humic shale is dried for a period of between 5 and 30 days. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contaminated fluid is passed through the prepared humic shale at a rate ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 gallons per minute. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contaminated fluid is passed through the prepared humic shale at a rate ranging from 1 to 2 gallons per minute. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contaminated fluid is passed through the prepared humic shale at a rate ranging from 3 to 5 gallons per minute. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unprepared humic shale is dried until its volumetric water content ranges from between about 0.1 to about 10 percent. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising heating the unprepared humic shale after the aqueous solution is no longer in contact with the unprepared humic shale. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises water, distilled water, or alcohol. 
     
     
         15 . A method for treating contaminated fluid, comprising:
 obtaining a container of prepared humic shale, said humic shale being prepared by (i) leaching a quantity of fulvic acid from unprepared humic shale until the leachate comprises a specific gravity less than 1 and (ii) drying the unprepared humic shale until its volumetric moisture content ranges between 0.1 and 10;   placing a stream of fluid in contact with the prepared humic shale such that the stream of fluid comprises a contact time with the prepared humic shale for a predetermined period of time.   after contacting the prepared humic shale for the predetermined period of time, discharging the stream of fluid.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the contact time ranges from between 30 and 60 minutes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the contact time ranges from between 1 and 2 hours. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the contact time ranges from between 5 and 10 days. 
     
     
         19 . A method of filtering air, comprising:
 disposing unprepared humic shale in a container;   contacting the unprepared humic shale with an aqueous solution;   maintaining the aqueous solution in contact with the unprepared humic material for a period of time;   removing the aqueous solution from contact with the unprepared humic material;   drying the unprepared humic shale; and   after drying the unprepared humic shale, placing polluted air in contact with the humic shale for a period of time to remove pollutants from the polluted air, forming a filtered air.