Surfactant-Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Chromium and Phenanthrene Cross-Polluted Soils

Abstract

Abstract Electrokinetic (EK) remediation has potential to simultaneously remove heavy metals (HMs) and organic compounds from soil, but removal efficiency of these pollutants is very low in general if no enhancing treatment is applied. In this work, a new enhanced EK remediation technology to decontaminate a HM–organic cross-contaminated soil by applying different surfactants and pH control were studied. Laboratory-scale EK experiments were performed using different surfactants (Triton X-100, Tween 80, and Dowfax 8390) and controlling catholyte electrolyte pH at 4. Diphenylcarbazide (DPC), which is a complexing agent used in the spectrophotometric determination of chromate, was used as a solubilizer for chromium (Cr). After treatment with 1.0 V/cm of voltage gradient for 15 days, soil pH, electroosmotic flow (EOF), electrical current, and the concentrations and chemical fractionations of soil phenanthrene (PHE) and Cr were analyzed. Results indicated that EOF rate in the Dowfax 8390 system was higher than...