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Efficient oxidation of high levels of soil-sorbed phenanthrene by microwave-activated persulfate: implication for in situ subsurface remediation engineering

  • Soils, Sec 1 • Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

In situ chemical oxidation using activated persulfate is increasingly applied for source destruction of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), e.g., PAHs, the target group contaminants of this study. However, the low aqueous solubility and strong sequestration of HOCs by soil aggregates are major hurdles for the oxidation of HOCs in the subsurface. This study aimed to investigate the potential of using microwave-activated persulfate to tackle the above issues and accelerate the remediation of HOC-contaminated sites.

Materials and methods

Soil sorbed with high levels of phenanthrene, a model compound for PAHs, was used in the study. The effects of microwave, reaction temperature, reaction time, oxidant dosage, and soil to water ratio on the destruction of phenanthrene, persulfate consumption, and slurry pH were studied. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the microwave-activated process were discussed by comparing the degradation results using microwave-activated persulfate with those using conventional heat-activated persulfate, and potential microwave-specific effects were explored.

Results and discussion

This study shows that microwave-activated persulfate is highly effective toward the destruction of high levels of soil-sorbed phenanthrene. The results indicate that higher slurry temperature is critical to initiate a positive feedback loop that induces rapid and efficient destruction of phenanthrene. Furthermore, potential mechanisms of the positive feedback loop were discussed. Though persulfate is mainly activated by the thermal effect of microwave, non-thermal microwave-specific effects were preliminary observed, which induce additional activation of persulfate and further enhance the destruction efficiency of phenanthrene. In addition, how to integrate an in situ microwave soil heating system with the traditional persulfate remediation process for subsurface engineering was discussed to provide guidance for potential applications in field scales.

Conclusions

Overall, the feasibility of using microwave heating to accelerate persulfate remediation of subsurface organic contaminations was established.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China—Guangdong Joint Fund (No. U1201234) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41201304).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China

    Libin Peng, Dayi Deng & Fangting Ye

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  1. Libin Peng
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  2. Dayi Deng
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  3. Fangting Ye
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Correspondence to Dayi Deng.

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Responsible editor: Gabriele E. Schaumann

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Peng, L., Deng, D. & Ye, F. Efficient oxidation of high levels of soil-sorbed phenanthrene by microwave-activated persulfate: implication for in situ subsurface remediation engineering. J Soils Sediments 16, 28–37 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1176-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1176-5

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