Abstract: A process for decontaminating a solid material contaminated with an organic pollutant wherein the solid material contains grains with a particle size of up to 60 microns, which includes the steps of:(a) extracting the organic pollutant from the solid material containing grains with the particle size up to 60 microns by using a microemulsion which includes a thermodynamically stable, macroscopically homogeneous and optically transparent mixture of water, an apolar hydrophobic solvent, and a surfactant to form a cleaned solid material and a pollutant-containing microemulsion;(b) separating the cleaned solid material from the pollutant-containing microemulsion; and(c) splitting the pollutant-containing microemulsion into a surfactant-rich phase and a pollutant-containing phase.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously filling a set of microcups includes a corresponding number of storage vessels having capillary outlets projecting into the microcups. The distance between the outlets and the bottom of the microcups is adjustable so that the filling quantity of the microcups can be modified depending on the requirements. For discharging fluid out of the storage vessels into the aligned microcups, diaphragms are used which are connected directly to the storage vessels or to auxiliary vessels cooperating with the storage vessels and are acted upon by a pressure plate located above the diaphragms. By pushing the pressure plate against the diaphragms, an overpressure is caused above the liquid within the storage vessel so that at first an excessive amount of liquid is discharged into the microcups. Upon release of the pressure, the diaphragms return to their initial position thus drawing in the excessive amount of liquid.