• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-73
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• 2020

PAHs commonly found in industrial sites such as manufactured gas plants (MGP) are potentially toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic, and thus require immediate remediation. In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is known as a highly efficient technology for soil and groundwater remediation. Among the several types of oxidants utilized in ISCO, persulfate has gained significant attention in recent years. Peroxydisulfate ion (S₂O₈^2-) is a strong oxidant with very high redox potential (E⁰ = 2.01 V). When mixed with Fe²⁺, it is capable of forming the sulfate radical (SO₄^-·) that has an even higher redox potential (E⁰ = 2.6 V). In this study, the influence of various iron activators on the persulfate oxidation of PAHs in contaminated soils was investigated. Several iron sources such as ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄), ferrous sulfide (FeS) and zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) were tested as a persulfate activator. Acenaphthene (ANE), dibenzofuran (DBF) and fluorene (FLE) were selected as model compounds because they were the dominant PAHs found in the field-contaminated soil collected from a MGP site. Oxidation kinetics of these PAHs in an artificially contaminated soil and the PAH-contaminated field soil were investigated. For all soils, Fe(0) was the most effective iron activator. The maximum PAHs removal rate in Fe(0)-mediated reactions was 92.7% for ANE, 83.0% for FLE, and 59.3% for DBF in the artificially contaminated soil, while the removal rate of total PAHs was 72.7% in the field-contaminated soil. To promote the iron activator effect, the effects of hydroxylamine as a reducing agent on reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺, and EDTA and pyrophosphate as chelating agents on iron stabilization in persulfate oxidation were also investigated. As hydroxylamine and chelating agents (EDTA, pyrophosphate) dosage increased, the individual PAH removal rate in the artificially contaminated soil and the total PAHs removal rate in the field-contaminated soil increased.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2010

Effects of operating parameters such as applied voltage, solution conductivity, ferrous ion concentration, electrode material on phenol degradation by pulsed corona discharges were investigated in laboratory scale experiments. The increase of applied voltage enhanced the phenol degradation by generating more energetic electrons. The solution conductivity inversely affected phenol removal rate in the tested ranges because the increase of conductivity decreased the electric field strength through the liquid phase. The addition of ferrous sulfate promoted the phenol degradation through the OH radical production by the Fentonlike reactions between ferrous ion and hydrogen peroxide generated by pulsed corona discharges. Catechol and hydroquinone were detected as primary intermediates of phenol degradation and the decrease of pH and the increase of conductivity were observed probably due to the generation of organic acids. Almost all of the initial phenol was disappeared and 29% of total organic corbon (TOC) was removed in the condition of 0.5 mM of ferrous sulfate after approximately 230 kJ of discharge energy transferred to the reactor.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.43-51
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• 2012

Rreactivity of persulfate (PS) for oxidation of TCE under various conditions such as heat, $Fe^{2+}$, and UV was investigated. It was found that degradation rate of TCE increased with increasing temperature from 15 to $35^{\circ}C$. At pH 7.0, the rate constants (k) at 15, 25, 30, and $35^{\circ}C$ were 0.07, 0.30, 0.74, and $1.30h^{-1}$, respectively. For activation by $Fe^{2+}$, removal efficiency of TCE increased with increasing $Fe^{2+}$ concentration from 1.9 mM to 11 mM. The maximum removal efficiency of TCE was approximately 85% when pH of the solution dropped from 7.0 to 2.5. Degradation of TCE by UV-activated PS was the most effective, showing that the degradation rate of TCE increased with inreasing PS dosage; the rate constants (k) at 0.5, 2.5, and 10 mM were 34.2, 40.5, and $55.9h^{-1}$, respectively. Our results suggest that PS activation by UV/PS process could be the most effective in activation processes tested for TCE degradation. For oxidation process by PS, however, pH should be observed and adjusted to neutral conditions (i.e., 5.8-8.5) if necessary.