skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Impact of soil properties on the rate of degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Conference ·
OSTI ID:430591
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Technology, Sydney (Australia)
  2. Royal Melbourne Inst. of Technology (Australia)
  3. ICI Paints, Slough (United Kingdom)

Soils from two geologically and geochemically different sites were evaluated for their potential to degrade chlorinated hydrocarbons. The chlorinated hydrocarbons included trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. Laboratory microcosm studies were used to determine the degradation rates under anaerobic conditions. Soils were distinguished on the basis of physical properties such as grain size and on chemical properties such as organic carbon content. There appeared to be little direct correlation between observed degradation rates and soil organic carbon content for soils containing less than 0.1% organic carbon. It was found that grain size distribution appeared to have some effect on degradation rates observed in soils with low organic carbon content (<0.1%). Soils with much higher organic carbon concentrations were observed to mineralize the chlorinated hydrocarbons at rates four to five orders of magnitude greater than that found in the lower organic carbon soils. 7 refs., 2 figs.

OSTI ID:
430591
Report Number(s):
CONF-960730-; TRN: 96:006487-0102
Resource Relation:
Conference: 5. world congress of chemical engineering, San Diego, CA (United States), 14-18 Jul 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of The 5th World Congress of chemical engineering: Technologies critical to a changing world. Volume III: Emerging energy technologies clean technologies remediation and emission control fuels and petrochemicals; PB: 1118 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English