• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2022

Environmental contamination by organic compounds are not only restricted to water, but extends to soil and groundwater as well. However, highly oxidized compounds, such as halogenated organics and nitro-compounds, can be detoxified employing reducing methods. Permeable reactive barrier is one of the representative technologies where zero-valent metals (ZVMs) are employed for groundwater remediation. However, organics contaminates often contaminate the unsaturated zone above the groundwater. Despite the availability of technologies like soil vapor extraction and bioremediation, removing organic compounds from this zone represents several challenges. In this study, the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline was achieved using zero-valent iron (ZVI) under unsaturated conditions. Results indicated that the water content was an important variable in this reaction. Under dry conditions (water content = 0.2%), the reduction reaction was inhibited; however, when the water content was between 10% and 25% (saturated condition), ZVI can reduce nitrobenzene. Palladized iron (Pd/Fe) can be used to reduce nitrobenzene when the water content is between 2.5% and 10%. The reaction was evaluated over a wide range of temperatures (10 - 40 ℃), and the results indicated that increasing the temperature resulted in increased reaction rates under unsaturated conditions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2005

Objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the different sources of the zero-valent irons (ZVIs) on the reduction of the toxic Cr(VI) to the nonhazardous Cr(III) in an aqueous solution. The physical and chemical properties of the six ZVIs were determined. Particle size and specific surface area of the ZVIs were in the ranges of $85.55{\sim}196.46{\mu}m\;and\;0.055{\sim}0.091m^2/g$, respectively. Most of the ZVIs contained Fe greater than 98% except for J (93%) and PU (88%). Reduction efficiencies of the ZVI for Cr(VI) reduction were varied with kinds of ZVIs. The J and PU ZVIs reduced 100% and 98% of Cr(VI) in the aqueous solution, respectively, within 3 hrs of reaction. However, PA, F, Sand J1 reduced 74, 65, 29 and 11% of Cr(VI), respectively, after 48 hrs. The pH of the reacting solution was rapidly increased from 3 to $4.34{\sim}9.04$ within 3 hrs. The oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) of the reacting solution was dropped from 600 to 319 mV within 3 hrs following addition of ZVIs to the Cr(VI) contaminated water. The capability of ZVIs for Cr(VI) reduction was the orders of PU > J > PA > F > S > J1, which coincided with the capacities to increase the pH and decrease the redox potentials. Results suggested that the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was derived from the oxidation of the ZVI in the aqueous solution.