the invention consists of a method for treating media containing halogenated organic compounds by : a ) combining the media with a fluid containing one or more liquid hydrocarbons to form a media / fluid mixture ; b ) sonicating the mixture at audio frequency to extract hocs from the media into the fluid ; and c ) treating the fluid with sodium - containing alkali metal . the method may include additional steps to reduce the size of the media . alternatively , the fluid can be decanted from the media after sonication and treated separately with sodium - containing alkali metal .