Abstract
Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) have been identified as environmental hazards for years. Due to historical issues, a considerable amount of PCBs was released deep underground in Canada. In this research, a nanoscale zero valent iron- (nZVI-) aided dechlorination followed by biosurfactant enhanced soil washing method was developed to remove PCBs from soil. During nZVI-aided dechlorination, the effects of nZVI dosage, initial pH level, and temperature were evaluated, respectively. Five levels of nZVI dosage and two levels of initial pH were experimented to evaluate the PCB dechlorination rate. Additionally, the temperature changes could positively influence the dechlorination process. In soil washing, the presence of nanoiron particles played a key role in PCB removal. The crude biosurfactant was produced using a bacterial stain isolated from the Atlantic Ocean and was applied for soil washing. The study has led to a promising technology for PCB-contaminated soil remediation.
Highlights
1.1 Background As family members of chlorinated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of manmade chemicals which were first synthesized in 1881 and commercialized in North American industries from the 1930s to the late 1970s (Pal et al, 1980; Council of Resource and Environment Ministers (CCREM), 1986; Tanabe, 1988)
All the analytical data shown in PCB dechlorination and soil washing experiments were averages generated from duplicated analysis
The Department of Health and Safety (DHS) provides campus compliance assistance with PCB management based on the PCB Regulations (SOR/2008-273), which have been widely applied across Canada
Summary
1.1 Background As family members of chlorinated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of manmade chemicals which were first synthesized in 1881 and commercialized in North American industries from the 1930s to the late 1970s (Pal et al, 1980; CCREM, 1986; Tanabe, 1988). Applying biosurfactants as the solvents in soil washing systems to treat PCB-contaminated soil has the following benefits: 1) it would effectively enhance solubilization of PCBs in the washing solution, leading to increased removal efficiency; and 2) it could stimulate microbial activity that enhances biodegradation of PCBs which are soil bound (Xia and Yan, 2010). It aims to combine nanotechnology and an existing soil washing system with biosurfactants as the solvent to better cleanup the PCB-contaminated sites in NL. Through the experimental study of various factors (one factor at a time) affecting PCB dechlorination (nZVI dosage, pH, and temperature) and soil washing effectiveness (nZVI and concentrations of biosurfactant solution), the research output is expected to generate environmentally friendly and economically/technically feasible solutions for helping solve the challenging site contamination problem in NL.
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