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Treatment of a Trichloroethylene Source Zone using Persulfate Activated by an Emplaced Nano-Pd–Fe0 Zone

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Abstract

Recently, metal nanoparticles have attracted attention as promising peroxygen activators for the rapid and effective remediation of organic contaminants. In this work, a one-dimensional physical model experiment was designed to investigate the mobility of the metal nanoparticles in porous media and the potential use of metal nanoparticles as peroxygen activators for in situ treatment of source zones. We found that our synthesized nano-Pd–Fe0 particles were mobile in a non-geological porous medium and relatively immobile in a geological porous medium. In addition, we observed that iron-based bimetallic nanoparticles were able to remain in suspension in an ideal aqueous system much longer (>6 weeks) than iron-based monometallic nanoparticles (<1 h). To overcome the nano-Pd–Fe0 particle delivery issue in geological porous media, an activation zone approach was adopted. Nano-Pd–Fe0 particles were injected in order to create a zone to activate persulfate for the treatment of a trichloroethylene source zone. Trichloroethylene mass destruction was only 9 % higher in the nano-Pd–Fe0 activated persulfate system compared to the non-activated persulfate system as revealed by a short-duration chloride concentration spike in the effluent. In addition, the nano-Pd–Fe0 activation zone was rapidly deactivated after being exposed to persulfate as visually observed by a color change, indicating that the longevity of the activation zone is limited.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this investigation was provided by a King Abdul-Aziz City for Science & Technology (KACST) Scholarship awarded to the first author, and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Collaborative Research and Development grant held by N.R. Thomson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Mohammed A. Al-Shamsi & Neil R. Thomson

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  1. Mohammed A. Al-Shamsi
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  2. Neil R. Thomson
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Correspondence to Neil R. Thomson.

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Al-Shamsi, M.A., Thomson, N.R. Treatment of a Trichloroethylene Source Zone using Persulfate Activated by an Emplaced Nano-Pd–Fe0 Zone. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1780 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1780-1

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