FIELD: soil decontamination. SUBSTANCE: soils containing sand and clay contaminated with nuclear wastes, elementary mercury, or mixed wastes including harmful organic compounds are decontaminated by treating them with water-free liquid ammonia or ammonia combined with solvated electrons. Methods include concentration of radionuclides such as plutonium and uranium in soil and clay corpuscles to obtain residual product that does not practically contain pollutants thereby enabling soil recultivation. Ammonia liquids such as water-free liquid ammonia facilitate decontamination due to reducing soil to fragments (corpuscles) to obtain finely dispersed substances wherefrom mercury droplets are extracted. High density of mercury makes it possible for soil particulates to settle down and mercury is separated from soil particles. EFFECT: reduced space requirement and expenses for contaminated soil storage. 37 cl, 3 dwg
