• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.436-443
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• 2007

Anaerobic reductive dehalogenation of perchloroethene (PCE) was studied with lactate as the electron donor in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) inoculated with a mixed culture previously shown to dehalogenate vinyl chloride (VC). cis-1,2- dichloroethene (cDCE) was the dominant intermediate at relatively long cell retention times (>56 days) and the electron acceptor to electron donor molar ratio (PCE:lactate) of 1:2. cDCE was transformed to VC completely at the PCE to lactate molar ratio of 1:4, and the final products of PCE dehalogenation were VC (80%) and ethene (20%). VC dehalogenation was inhibited by cDCE dehalogenation. Propionate produced from the fermentation of lactate might be used as electron donor for the dehalogenation. Batch experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of increased hydrogen, VC, and trichloroethene (TCE) on VC dehalogenation which is the rate-limiting step in PCE dehalogenation The addition of TCE increased the VC dehalogenaiton rate more than an increase in the $H_2$ concentration, which suggests that the introduction of TCE induces the production of an enzyme that can comtabolize VC.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.42-52
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• 2011

In this laboratory study, the changes in gas-exposed perchloroethene (PCE) saturation in sand during a PCE removal process were measured using gaseous tracers. The flux of fresh air through a glass column packed with PCEcontaminated, partially water-saturated sand drove the removal of PCE from the column. During the removal of PCE, methane, n-pentane, difluoromethane and chloroform were used as the non-reactive, PCE-partitioning, water-partitioning, and PCE and water-partitioning tracers, respectively. N-pentane was used to detect the PCE fraction exposed to the mobile gas. At water saturation of 0.11, only 65% of the PCE was found to be exposed to the mobile gas prior to the removal of PCE, as calculated from the n-pentane retardation factor. More PCE than that detected by n-pentane was depleted from the column due to volatilization through the aqueous phase. However, the ratio of gas-exposed to total PCE decreased on the removal of PCE, implying gas-exposed PCE was preferentially removed by vaporization. These results suggest that the water-insoluble, PCE-partitioning tracer (n-pentane in this study), along with other tracers, can be used to investigate the changes in fluid (including nonaqueous phase liquid) saturation and the removal mechanism during the remediation process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.292-299
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• 2006

Batch experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of the electron donor dosage and the initial biomass on the reductive dechlorination of perchloroethene(PCE) with benzoate as an electron donor. When benzoate was added less than the theoretical requirement for dechlorination(electron donor/acceptor ratio=0.5 and 1), the dechlorination efficiency increased from 71% to 94.3% with the increase in benzoate dosage, but the fraction of electron equivalent utilized for dechlorination decreased from 92.7% to 79.6%. Methane production was observed when the hydrogen concentration was higher than the threshold value(10 nM) after PCE and trichloroethene (TCE) were reduced to cis-1,2-dichloroethene(cDCE). When benzoate was added more than the theoretical requirement, the residual hydrogen converted into methane after the completion of dechlorination. The increase in the seeding biomass shortened the lag time for dechlorination, but it did not affect the maximum dechlorination rate as it was mainly governed by the benzoate fermentation rate. When the seeding biomass concentration was high, active dechlorination during the early period increased dechlorination efficiency while decreasing methane production.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.685-693
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• 2008

The rates of oxidative degradation of perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) using $KMnO_4$ solution were evaluated under the flow condition using a bench-scale transport experimental setup. Parameters which are considered to affect the reaction rates tested in this study were the contact time (or retention time), and the concentration of oxidizing agent. A glass column packed with coarse sand was used for simulating the aquifer condition. Contact time between reactants was controlled by changing the flow rate of the solution through the column. The inflow concentrations of PCE and TCE were controlled constant within the range of $0.11{\sim}0.21\;mM$ and $1.3{\sim}1.5\;mM$, respectively. And the contact time was $14{\sim}125$ min for PCE and $15{\sim}36$ min for TCE. The $KMnO_4$ concentration was controlled constant during experiment in the range of $0.6{\sim}2.5\;mM$. It was found that the reduction of PCE and TCE concentrations were inversely proportional to the contact time. The exact reaction order for the PCE and TCE degradation reaction could not be determined under the experimental condition used in this study. However, the estimated reaction rate constants assuming pseudo-1st order reaction agree with those reported based on batch studies. TCE degradation rate was proportional to $KMnO_4$ concentration. This was considered to be the result of using high inflow concentrations of reactant, which might be the case at the vicinity of the source zones in aquifer. The results of this study, performed using a dynamic flow system, are expected to provide useful information for designing and implementing a field scale oxidative removal process for PCE/TCE-contaminated sites.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.712-722
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• 2007

This study screened three natural ores (iron, mangenase, and zinc), two types of slags, and two elemental metals (elemental iron and zinc) to evaluate transformation characteristics of CAH mixtures [e.g. Carbontetrachloride (CT), 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), and Perchloroethene (PCE)]. To select an effective metal medium to treat the CAH mixtures, we measured transformation capacities (CAH mass ultimately transformed/mass of metal added) and the degree of dechlorination. We also considered economical efficiency of the metal media by comparing the value, CAH mass ultimately transformed divided by the price of metal medium added. A simplified mathematical model adapting CAH transformation capacity, first-order transformation kinetics, and available mass of metal transforming CAH was developed and used for estimating CAH transformation rate coefficient and longevity of the metal medium. CAH transformation capacity for elemental iron and elemental zinc were 4258~7129 and $4215{\sim}6330{\mu}g\;CAH\;transformed/g$ metal added, respectively, which are a factor of 80~200 higher than slags and natural ores. They also showed a factor of 1.1 to 2.2 greater degree of dechlorination than the others. Among natural ores and slags, Zinc ore showed the highest transformation capacity, $47{\sim}53{\mu}g\;CAH\;transformed/g$ metal added. Although zinc ore have smaller transformation capacity than elemental metals, economical efficiency of zinc ore is a factor of 10~20 greater than elemental metals tested. Consequently, zinc ore would be more economical medium than the others tested in this study. We estimated the pseudo first-order transformation rate of zinc ore was in the order of CT > 1,1,1-TCA > PCE.