Surface Catalyzed Fenton Treatment of bis(2-chlorethyl) ether (BCEE), bis(2-chloroethoxy) methane (BCEM) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA)

• Main Author: Mutuc, Maria Divina Manalo
• Other Authors: Environmental Engineering
• Format: Others
• Published: Virginia Tech 2014
• Subjects: Fenton's reagent; advance oxidation process
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43710; http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07132005-173030/

This study determined the potential feasibility of surface catalyzed Fenton treatment to remediate soil and groundwater contaminated with bis(2-chloroethyl ether (BCEE), bis(2-chloroethoxy) methane (BCEM), and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) among other contaminants. Parameters that affect the contaminant loss rate such as pH, hydrogen peroxide concentration and solid/water ratio were systematically evaluated. Batch reactors were set-up utilizing either contaminated or uncontaminated soil that was mixed with synthetic groundwater containing the contaminants of interest. The results show an increase in contaminant reduction with a decrease in pH, an increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration, or an increase in the solid/water ratio. For the same set of conditions, contaminant reduction was greater for systems utilizing contaminated soil as compared to the systems containing uncontaminated soil. In addition, specific oxygen uptake rates were measured for an activated sludge exposed to different dilutions of untreated and surface catalyzed Fenton treated water to evaluate whether the residual BCEE, BCEM, and 1,2 DCA as well as their oxidation by products were potentially inhibitory or can potentially serve as a substrate for the activated sludge. The measured specific oxygen uptake rates show that the surface catalyzed Fenton treatment enhanced the biodegradability of the contaminated groundwater and served as a substrate for the activated sludge. === Master of Science