Remediation of trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater by persulfate oxidation: a field-scale study

Abstract

This study uses a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated site to determine the efficacy of persulfate oxidation for the treatment of TCE-contaminated groundwater. The main objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate the efficacy of TCE treatment using persulfate with different injection strategies; (2) to determine the persistence of persulfate in the aquifer; (3) to determine the radius of influence (ROI) and transport distance of persulfate and (4) to determine the impact of persulfate on indigenous microorganisms during remediation. TCE concentrations are 0.26 mg L⁻¹ in P143 and 0.361 mg L⁻¹ in P146 and the microbial numbers are 6.1 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹ in P143 and 4.4 × 10⁴ CFU mL⁻¹ in P146, before persulfate is injected. The results of the pilot study show that persulfate eliminates TCE. 100% of TCE is removed in P146 and 95% in P143. Single injection of a total amount of 275 kg of 5% persulfate produces better TCE removal than two half persulfate injections in sequence. The transport distance of persulfate ranges from 3.6 to 4.5 m. Persulfate also persists for 14 days in the aquifer. After persulfate is injected, the total bacterial counts decrease slightly to 2.4 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹ in P143 and 1.8 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹ in P146. When persulfate is consumed, the total bacterial counts increase but there is no recovery of the microbial community. The results show that sequential injections of a large amount of persulfate are suggested to maintain good long-term performance for TCE treatment.