• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2017

Persulfate (PS) activated with nanosized zero-valent iron (NZVI) was tested as a reagent to remove phenol from groundwater. Batch degradation experiments indicated that NZVI/PS molar ratios between 1 : 2 and 1 : 5 were appropriate for complete removal of phenol, and that the time required for complete removal varied with different PS and NZVI dosages. Chloride ions up to 100 mM enhanced the phenol oxidation rate, and nitrate of any concentration up to 100 mM did not significantly affect the oxidation rate. NZVI showed greater performance than ferrous iron did as an activator for PS. A by-product was formed along with phenol degradation but subsequently was completely degraded, which showed the potential to attain mineralization with the NZVI/PS system. Tests with radical quenchers indicated that sulfate radicals were a predominant radical. The results of this study suggest that NZVI is a promising activator of PS for treating contaminated groundwater.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.17-25
• /
• 2017

The efficiency and mechanism of electrochemical phenol oxidation using persulfate (PS) and nanosized zero-valent iron (NZVI) were investigated. The pseudo-first-order rate constant for phenol removal by the electrochemical/PS/NZVI ($1mA^*cm^{-2}/12$ mM/6 mM) process was $0.81h^{-1}$, which was higher than those of the electrochemical/PS and PS/NZVI processes. The electrochemical/PS/NZVI system removed 1.5 mM phenol while consuming 6.6 mM PS, giving the highest stoichiometric efficiency (0.23) among the tested systems. The enhanced phenol removal rates and efficiencies observed for the electrochemical/PS/NZVI process were attributed to the interactions involving the three components, in which the electric current stimulated PS activation, NZVI depassivation, phenol oxidation, and PS regeneration by anodic or cathodic reactions. The electrochemical/PS/NZVI process effectively removed phenol oxidation products such as hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone. Since the electric current enhances the reactivities of PS and NZVI, process performance can be optimized by effectively manipulating the current.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.104-113
• /
• 2018

A three-dimensional electrochemical process using nanosized zero-valent iron (NZVI)/activated carbon (AC) particle electrode and persulfate (PS) was developed for oxidizing pollutants. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis were performed to characterize particle electrode. XRD and SEM-EDS analysis confirmed that NZVI was impregnated on the surface of AC. Compared with the conventional two-dimensional electrochemical process, the three-dimensional particle electrode process achieved three times higher efficiency in phenol removal. The system with current density of $5mA/cm^2$ exhibited the highest phenol removal efficiency among the systems employing 1, 5, and $10mA/cm^2$. The removal efficiency of phenol increased as the Fe contents in the particle electrode increased. The particle electrode achieved more than 70% of phenol removal until it was reused for three times. The sulfate radical played a predominant role in phenol removal according to the radical scavenging test.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.192-203
• /
• 2016

A field investigation was conducted on an aquifer contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) for application of in situ reactive zone treatment using nanosized zero-valent iron (NZVI). The aquifer was an unconfined aquifer with a mean hydraulic conductivity of $5.14{\times}10^{-4}cm/sec$, which would be favorable for NZVI injection. Seasonal monitoring of TCE concentration revealed a presence of non-aqueous phase liquid form of TCE near IW (injection well). The hydrochemical data characterized the site groundwater to be a $Ca-HCO_3$ type. The average value of Langelier Saturation Index of the groundwater was -1.33, which implied that the site was favorable for corrosion of NZVI. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration varied between 2.5~11.5 mg/L, which indicated that DO would greatly compete with TCE as an electron acceptor. The hydrogeological and hydrochemical characterization reveals that the time around November would be appropriate for NZVI injection when water level and temperature are relatively high and DO concentration is low.