Competitive Sorption and Desorption of Chlorinated Organic Solvents (DNAPLs) in Engineered Natural Organic Matter

Conference · Wed Mar 31 04:00:00 EST 2004

OSTI ID:826035

Tang, Jixin; Weber, Jr, Walter J

The effects of artificially accelerated geochemical condensation and maturation of natural organic matter on the sorption and desorption of trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were studied. The sorption and desorption of TCE in the presence and absence of the competing PCE and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB) were also examined. A sphagnum peat comprising geologically young organic matter was artificially ''aged'' using superheated water, thus increasing the aromaticity and the degree of condensation of its associated organic matter. The sorption of all solutes tested were increased remarkably and their respective desorptions reduced, by the aged peat. The sorption capacities and isotherm nonlinearities of the peat for both TCE and PCE were found to increase as treatment temperature increased. In the competitive sorption studies, both PCE and DCB were found to depress TCE sorption, with PCE having greater effects than DCB, presumably because the molecular structure o f the former is more similar to that of TCE.

• Research Organization: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FG07-02ER63488
• OSTI ID: 826035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DESORPTION
ISOTHERMS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
ORGANIC MATTER
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
PEAT
SOLUTES
SORPTION
WATER