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PCDD/F formation during thermal desorption of chlorobenzene contaminated soil

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Abstract

Unintentional formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) is observed and investigated during the thermal desorption in an airflow of a sandy soil, doped artificially with either 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DiCBz) or hexachlorobenzene (HCBz) using a lab-scale experimental set-up. At all temperatures investigated (200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 °C), this thermal treatment creates significant amounts of PCDD, PCDF and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), starting from 1,2-DiCBz. The highest yield of PCDD/F formed from 1,2-DiCBz occurs at 250 °C, with a total (gas + residual soil) output of 117 and 166 pg/g PCDD and PCDF, respectively. Most output reports to the gas phase and the PCDD/F signature is significantly different for residue and gas phase. Also PCB are formed, at a scale of 224 ng/g (300 °C). Compared with 1,2-DiCBz, HCBz converts into PCDD/F even more actively at 350 and 400 °C: the total PCDD/F output created attains 967 pg/g PCDD and 465 pg/g PCDF at 350 °C. As a precursor, 1,2-DiCBz favours formation of PCDF, while PCDD predominates, when the HCBz contaminated soil is treated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Zhonghua Zhao, Mingjiang Ni, Xiaodong Li, Tong Chen, Alfons Buekens & Jianhua Yan

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  1. Zhonghua Zhao
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  2. Mingjiang Ni
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  3. Xiaodong Li
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  4. Tong Chen
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  5. Alfons Buekens
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  6. Jianhua Yan
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Correspondence to Xiaodong Li.

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Responsible editor: Hongwen Sun

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Zhao, Z., Ni, M., Li, X. et al. PCDD/F formation during thermal desorption of chlorobenzene contaminated soil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 23321–23330 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9963-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9963-8

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