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A vacuum collector is provided comprising a suction hose, a first drum with a cover having a cylindrical head capable of generating powerful, small-diameter cyclones, a second drum capable of generating large-diameter cyclones, and a stack of three modules containing vacuum-producing motors atop a H

A vacuum collector is provided comprising a suction hose, a first drum with a cover having a cylindrical head capable of generating powerful, small-diameter cyclones, a second drum capable of generating large-diameter cyclones, and a stack of three modules containing vacuum-producing motors atop a HEPA filter atop primary filters. The suction hose is connected to the inlet of the small-diameter cyclone-generating head on the cover of the first drum. The stack of modules containing motors, HEPA filter, and primary filters is mounted on the second drum. The two cyclonic drums communicate through a flexible vacuum hose. When the vacuum-producing motors pull air from the interior of the vacuum collector, the suction hose sucks atmospheric air mixed with contaminants from a surface into the head, which spins the contaminant-laden air-stream into a powerful, small-diameter cyclone. As a result of cyclonic action, the contaminant laden air-stream spirals to the bottom of the first drum, deposits most of its contaminants, reverses course, exits the drum, and enters the second drum, where it spins into a large-diameter cyclone, deposits more contaminants, passes through the primary and HEPA filters, and exhausts via the vacuum-producing motors. Collectors comprising more than two communicating cyclonic drums for tailored environmental remediation are also described.

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1. A vacuum collector for cleaning contaminated surfaces comprising(a) a plurality of drums, each drum having a side wall, a bottom wall and a cover, comprising (1) an inlet for admitting contaminant-laden air into said drum, (2) means for spinning said contaminant-laden air into a cyclone, which se

1. A vacuum collector for cleaning contaminated surfaces comprising(a) a plurality of drums, each drum having a side wall, a bottom wall and a cover, comprising (1) an inlet for admitting contaminant-laden air into said drum, (2) means for spinning said contaminant-laden air into a cyclone, which separates part of said contaminants from said air depositing it in said drum for storage, and (3) an outlet for expelling air free of said part of said contaminants from said drum, (b) a first vacuum hose segment for sucking contaminants off said contaminated surfaces, (c) one or more second vacuum hose segments for fluidically interconnecting said drums by connecting said inlet of one of said drums to said outlet of another of said drums, (d) a primary filter housing containing primary filters, (e) a HEPA filter housing containing a HEPA filter, and (f) means for producing a vacuum, said drums being fluidically interconnected by said second vacuum hose segments in a series, which has an initial drum and a final drum, said inlet of said initial drum being connected to said first vacuum hose, said vacuum-producing means being mounted on said HEPA filter housing containing said HEPA filter, said HEPA filter housing containing said HEPA filter being mounted on said primary filter housing containing said primary filters, said primary filter housing containing said primary filters being mounted on said final drum and serving as said cover, said vacuum-producing means producing a sub-atmospheric air pressure within said interconnected drums and generating an airflow thereto, which airflow picks up said contaminants from said contaminated surfaces, enters said initial drum through said first vacuum hose segment, spins into said cyclone depositing contaminants therein, reaches said initial drum outlet, sequentially enters each of said drums in said series spinning and depositing said contaminants therein, ultimately arrives at said final drum, spins into said cyclone, deposits contaminants, passes through said primary filters, through said HEPA filter, through said means for producing a vacuum and into the atmosphere, whereby said contaminants from said surfaces are efficiently picked up by said airflow and efficiently deposited in said drums as a result of repeated cyclonic treatments so that said airflow is significantly free of contaminants when it passes through said primary filters and through said HEPA filter, and whereby said collector can perform large-scale environmental remediation virtually nonstop, without frequent filter cleaning or filter changing.