Abstract
Sulfolane is an emerging contaminant in the groundwater and soil nearby gas plants, which has attracted much attention from many researchers and regulatory agencies in the past ten years. In this paper, a field pilot-scale ultraviolet (UV)/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) system was investigated for treating sulfolane contaminated groundwater. Different groundwater, as well as different operational parameters such as influent sulfolane concentration, H2O2 dosage, and water flow rates, were studied. The results showed that a pilot-scale UV/H2O2 system can successfully treat sulfolane contaminated groundwater in the field, although the presence of iron and other groundwater limited the process efficiency. The lowest electrical energy per order of reduction for treating sulfolane in groundwater by using the pilot-scale UV/H2O2 system was 1.4 kWh m−3 order−1. The investigated sulfolane initial concentrations and the water flow rates did not impact the sulfolane degradation. The enhancement of sulfolane degradation in an open reservoir by adding ozone was not observed in this study. Furthermore, an operational cost model was formulated to optimize the dosage of H2O2, and a stepwise procedure was developed to determine the power necessary of the UV unit.
Highlights
Sulfolane (C4 H8 SO2 ), chemically known as tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, is a stable, polar organic solvent, miscible with water, having extremely low vapor pressure and a high boiling point [1]
The results showed that sulfolane degradation decreased as the flow rate increased
A field pilot-scale UV/H O2 was successfully evaluated in treating sulfolane in
Summary
Sulfolane (C4 H8 SO2 ), chemically known as tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, is a stable, polar organic solvent, miscible with water, having extremely low vapor pressure and a high boiling point [1]. A parametric study evaluating the effect of hydrogen peroxide dosage, light intensity, and the combination of different oxidants on the sulfolane degradation rate has been reported by Yu et al [6]. These laboratory studies indicated that a combination of UV and H2 O2 is a promising method to degrade sulfolane in aqueous media. Upon UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide can yield hydroxyl radicals, which can attack the organic contaminants in the aqueous medium It has been considered as an environmentally friendly technology as less toxic compounds are generated during the process. The effect of operational parameters such as sulfolane influent concentration, water flow rates, and hydrogen peroxide dosage on sulfolane degradation was examined. The function was furtherly used to minimize the total operational cost, optimize hydrogen peroxide concentration, and select a proper size of UV system to treat sulfolane in groundwater
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