Sonic Environmental Solutions Inc. of Vancouver, which I wrote about a few weeks ago, said today it has applied for a provisional patent with the U.S. Patent Office that would cover the use of its low-frequency sonic technology for treating certain contaminants in groundwater.

This may be an overly simplistic explanation, but the company’s patented sonic generator technology uses low frequencies to cause intense agitation of PCB contaminated soils and fluids. Its so-called Sonoprocess speeds up chemical and biological processes in the material and, using comparatively less energy than alternatives, effectively treats the soil or fluid so that it’s non-harzardous enough to be properly disposed of or reused. The end product after treatment is apparently just clean soil, salt and low-grade fuel. (See video demo here)

The company has built its first soil decontamination plant in Delta, B.C., and now appears ready to expand its attention to groundwater treatment.

“Now that we have moved to commercial scale operation for our first Sonoprocess for treatment of PCB contaminated soil, we can begin to explore some of the other applications identified by the board for future consideration,” Dr. James Hill, executive vice-president, said in a press release today.

I haven’t had a chance yet to talk to company executives in detail about the technology, but I have to say I remain intrigued by what I’ve read so far. The system is mobile — it can go to the soil, eliminating the cost of having to remove the soil for treatment elsewhere. It uses a novel process that’s much more environmentally sound, a nice contrast to soil incineration processes that have received a huge amount of public criticism. Sonic does appear to have some competition out there, but as I said before, it’s a homegrown company to watch.

BTW: At the company’s recent annual meeting management confirmed that “interest in the PCB Sonoprocess is building rapidly with inquiries from across North America,” according to a release. The company is also working on joint venture possibilities in Europe and Japan, which could be concluded by year’s end.

Another interesting statement that recently came out of the company: “Brownfield opportunities are becoming increasingly important as urban land development opportunities become limited.”

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