The oxidation of benzene in aquifer water using Fenton's reagent: A feasibility study

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5719277

Frisbie, S H

The objective of chapter II was to develop a laboratory preparation of C-free H[sub 2]O[sub 2(aq)] so that subsequent studies of chemical mineralization could be conducted in systems where an organic substrate of low water solubility is the only source of C initially present. This preparation of C-free H[sub 2]O[sub 2] involved the dissolution of Li[sub 2]O[sub 2(s)] in the presence of 2H[sub 3]PO[sub 4(aq)] to produce H[sub 2]O[sub 2(aq)], 2Li[sup +][sub (aq)], and 2H[sub 2]PO[sub 4][sup [minus]][sub (aq)]. The H[sub 2]O[sub 2] concentration of the product was 11.43 [+-] 0.02% (wt/wt), approximately 50% more concentrated than that obtained from other direct reaction methods. The objective of chapter III was to determine the initial [Fe[sup 2+]] and pH which promoted oxidation and mineralization of 1 [times] 10[sup [minus]4] M C[sub 6]H[sub 6(aq)] by Fenton's reagent at 15[degrees]C. Fenton's reaction produces hydroxyl radical, a powerful oxidant, and is expressed as follows: (1) H[sub 2]O[sub 2] + Fe[sup 2+] [yields] [center dot]OH[sup [minus]] + OH[sup [minus]] + Fe[sup 3+]. The most efficient combination of reaction parameters found was a mixture of 0.002 M Fe[sup 2+][sub (aq)] without pH modification and 3% H[sub 2]O[sub 2] (wt/wt) at pH 8.5: after 4 h 1% of the C[sub 6]H[sub 6] was unreacted, 43% of the C[sub 6]H[sub 6]-C was oxidized to CO[sub 2], and 9.6% of the H[sub 2]O[sub 2] was consumed. The objective of chapter IV was to assess the feasibility of using Fenton's reagent as a means of oxidizing 5 [times] 10[sup [minus]5] M purgeable C[sub 6]H[sub 6] found in aquifer water from a Midwestern superfund site. In the most efficient application of Fenton's reagent, 0.002 M Fe[sup 2+][sub (aq)] and 3% H[sub 2]O[sub 2] (wt/wt) at pH 8.5, after 1 d at least 42% of the C[sub 6]H[sub 6] was oxidized when the reactant to substrate ratio was increased tenfold by diluting the aquifer water 10:1 with distilled-deionized water.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5719277
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AQUIFERS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
GROUND WATER
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MINERALIZATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
REACTION KINETICS
REAGENTS
WATER