Combining electrokinetic treatment with modified zero-valent iron nanoparticles for rapid and thorough dechlorination of trichloroethene

In situ injection of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) slurry is a promising method to treat chlorinated solvents represented by trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater. In this study, the effects of sulfidation and emulsification treatment on the performance of nZVI reductive dechlorination of TCE under enhancement by an external electric field were evaluated. The hydrophobic oil film on the surface of sulfidized and emulsified zero-valent iron (S-EZVI) can sequestrate more than one-fifth of the unreacted TCE in the early stage of the experiment (at 5 min). The FeS layer formed on the surface of S-EZVI can facilitate the electron-transfer process and reduce the degree of corrosion of Fe-0 with water by 94.0%. Electric-field-enhanced S-EZVI technology can remove more than 93.1% of TCE in the pH range 6.0-9.0, and the performances in overly acid and overly alkali environments both improved. Under the optimal conditions, the TCE removal rate and reaction constant of the applied electric field group reached 96.7% and 1.6 x 10(-2) L g(-1) min(-1), respectively, which were much higher than those of the group without an electric field (53.2% and 3.3 x 10(-3) L g(-1) min(-1)) owing to rapid concurrent hydrogenolysis of dichloroethenes and vinyl chloride, or another transformation pathway, such as direct oxidation by the anode. Thereby, this method avoids accumulation of chlorinated intermediates, especially toxic vinyl chloride. This work shows that combination technology has many characteristics that are favorable for field application, and it is expected to provide a new reference and have application value for development of in situ efficient and thorough treatment of TCE-contaminated groundwater.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effects of sulfidation and emulsification treatment on the performance of nanoscale zero-valent iron in the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater. The sulfidized and emulsified zero-valent iron (S-EZVI) can sequestrate unreacted TCE and reduce the corrosion of iron. The electric-field-enhanced S-EZVI technology showed improved performance in removing TCE under different pH conditions.