Chemical Fate of Contaminants in the Environment: Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in the Groundwater

Abstract

Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) are the most common contaminant found at hazardous waste sites and are the most prevalent contaminants on (Department of Energy) DOE weapons production sites. Many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons are either known or suspected carcinogens and thus pose health risks to the public and/or site workers. Chlorinated hydrocarbons, unlike simple hydrocarbons, are resistant to biodegradation, but can degrade by abiotic processes such as hydrolysis, nucleophilic substitution, and dehydrochlorination. Unfortunately, few studies of the reactions of chlorinated hydrocarbons have been reported in the literature, and disagreement still exist about the mechanisms and rates of many of the key reactions.