A method for treating polluted material such as industrial waste water or polluted water from other sources, sewage or sewage sludge or other forms of sludge, or polluted soil, to degrade oxidizable substances therein, comprising subjecting the polluted material to a wet oxidation process in a reactor so as to decompose and/or modify oxidizable substances therein and optionally improve the filterability of solids when present in the material; the material may optionally be pretreated so as to facilitate the wet oxidation process. Solid polluted material is preferably in the form of a liquid suspension, such as an aqueous suspension, when subjected to wet oxidation. The wet oxidation process is performed to such an extent, optionally with subsequent substantial removal of heavy metals, that the decomposed and/or modified substances remaining after the wet oxidation and the optional removal of heavy metals are substantially biodegradable.
An apparatus and method for splicing light conductors in composite cables, in particular marine cables, comprising a plurality of spliced cable sections of power conductors and sections of light conductors. With a view to uninterrupted armouring along the entire length and thus the ability to maintain a sufficient tensile and flexural strength, the splice of the light conductors is provided at a distance from the splice of the power conductors and with a cross-sectional contour which essentially corresponds to the cable cross-section. Then the armouring is wound uninterruptedly around the cable and encloses the splices of the power conductors as well as the light conductors.