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Zhang W, Zhu Y, Gu R, Liang Z, Xu W, Jat Baloch MY. Health Risk Assessment during In Situ Remediation of Cr(VI)-Contaminated Groundwater by Permeable Reactive Barriers: A Field-Scale Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph192013079. [PMID: 36293661 PMCID: PMC9603126 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The presence of residual Cr(VI) in soils causes groundwater contamination in aquifers, affecting the health of exposed populations. Initially, permeable reactive barriers(PRB) effectively removed Cr(VI) from groundwater. However, as PRB clogging increased and Cr(VI) was released from upstream soils, the contamination plume continued to spread downstream. By 2020, the level of contamination in the downstream was nearly identical to that in the upstream. The study results show that during normal operation, the PRB can successfully remove Cr(VI) from contaminated groundwater and reduce the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to humans from the downstream side of groundwater. However, the remediated groundwater still poses an unacceptable risk to human health. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the concentration of the pollutant was the most sensitive parameter and interacted significantly with other factors. Ultimately, it was determined that the residual Cr(VI) in the soil of the study region continues to contaminate the groundwater and constitutes a serious health danger to residents in the vicinity. As remediated groundwater still poses a severe threat to human health, PRB may not be as effective as people believe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130021, China
- College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-057163743312
| | - Yifan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130021, China
- College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ruiting Gu
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhentian Liang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130021, China
- College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Wenyan Xu
- Chemical Geological Prospecting Institute of Liaoning Province Co., Ltd., Jinzhou 121007, China
| | - Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130021, China
- College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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Metzgen AD, Dahmke A, Ebert M. Temperature Effects on PCE Degradation on ZVI in Column Experiments with Deionized Water. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:10084-10094. [PMID: 35786861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The effects of rising groundwater temperatures on zerovalent iron (ZVI)-based remediation techniques will be critical in accelerating chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) degradation and side reactions. Therefore, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) degradation with three ZVIs widely used in permeable reactive barriers (Gotthart-Maier cast iron [GM], Peerless cast iron [PL], and ISPAT sponge iron [IS]) was evaluated at 10-70 °C in deionized water. From 10 to 70 °C, PCE degradation half-lives decreased from 25 ± 2 to 0.9 ± 0.1 h (PL), 24 ± 3 to 0.7 ± 0.1 h (GM), and 2.5 ± 0.01 to 0.3 ± 0.005 h (IS). Trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation half-lives at PL and GM decreased from 14.3 ± 3 to 0.2 ± 0.1 h (PL) and 7.6 ± 2 to 0.4 ± 0.1 h (GM). This acceleration of CHC degradation and the stronger shift toward reductive β-elimination reduced the concentration of potentially harmful metabolites with increasing temperatures. PCE and TCE degradation yields an activation energy of 28 (IS), 58 and 40 kJ mol-1 (GM), and 62 and 53 kJ mol-1 (PL). Hydrogen gas production by ZVI corrosion increased by 3 orders of magnitude from 10 to 70 °C, and an increased chance of gas clogging was observed at high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian D Metzgen
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Dahmke
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Markus Ebert
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Abstract
Increasing groundwater temperatures caused by global warming, subsurface infrastructure, or heat storage projects may interfere with groundwater remediation techniques using zero-valent iron (ZVI) technology by accelerating anaerobic corrosion. The corrosion behavior of three ZVIs widely used in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), Peerless cast iron (PL), Gotthart-Maier cast iron (GM), and an ISPAT iron sponge (IS), was investigated at temperatures between 25 and 70 °C in half-open batch reactors by measuring the volume of hydrogen gas generated. Initially, the corrosion rates of all tested ZVIs increased with temperature; at temperatures ≤40 °C, a material-specific steady state is reached, and at temperatures >40 °C, passivation causes a decrease in long-term corrosion rates. The observed corrosion behavior was therefore assumed to be superimposed by accelerating and inhibiting effects, caused by surface precipitates where the fitting of measured corrosion rates by a modeling approach, using the corroded amount of Fe0 to account for passivating minerals, yields intrinsic activation energies (Ea, ZVI) of 81, 90, and 107 kJ mol-1 for IS, GM, and PL, respectively. An increase in H2 production might not be directly transferable to an increase in general ZVI reactivity; however, the results suggest that an increase in chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation rates can be expected for ZVI-PRBs in the immediate vicinity of low-temperature underground thermal energy storages (UTESs) or in the impact areas of high-temperature UTES with temperatures of ≤40 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian D Metzgen
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Dahmke
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Markus Ebert
- Department of Applied Geology, Aquatic Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Institute of Geoscience, Kiel University, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Mayacela-Rojas CM, Molinari A, Cortina JL, Gibert O, Ayora C, Tavolaro A, Rivera-Velásquez MF, Fallico C. Removal of Transition Metals from Contaminated Aquifers by PRB Technology: Performance Comparison among Reactive Materials. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:6075. [PMID: 34199945 PMCID: PMC8200199 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18116075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The most common reactive material used for the construction of a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) is zero valent iron (ZVI), however, its processing can generate corrosive effects that reduce the efficiency of the barrier. The present study makes a major contribution to understanding new reactive materials as natural and synthetic, easy to obtain, economical and environmentally friendly as possible substitutes for the traditional ZHV to be used as filters in the removal of three transition metals (Zn, Cu, Cd). To assess the ability to remove these pollutants, a series of batch and column tests were carried out at laboratory scale with these materials. Through BACH tests, four of seven substances with a removal percentage higher than 99% were prioritized (cabuya, natural clinoptilolite zeolites, sodium mordenite and mordenite). From this group of substances, column tests were performed where it is evidenced that cabuya fiber presents the lowest absorption time (≈189 h) while natural zeolite mordenite shows the highest time (≈833 h). The latter being the best option for the PRB design. The experimental values were also reproduced by the RETRASO code; through this program, the trend between the observed and simulated values with respect to the best reactive substance was corroborated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Molinari
- Department of Civil Engineering, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (A.M.); (C.F.)
| | - José Luis Cortina
- Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany, 10–14 Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.C.); (O.G.)
| | - Oriol Gibert
- Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany, 10–14 Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.C.); (O.G.)
| | - Carlos Ayora
- Departament de Geociències, Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l’Aigua (IDÆA-CSIC), c/Jordi Girona 18 UPC Campus Norte, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Adalgisa Tavolaro
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council (C.N.R.-I.T.M.), University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy;
| | - María Fernanda Rivera-Velásquez
- Alternative Energies and Environment Research Group, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Panamericana Sur km 1 1/2, Riobamba 060101, Ecuador;
| | - Carmine Fallico
- Department of Civil Engineering, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (A.M.); (C.F.)
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Mayacela Rojas CM, Rivera Velásquez MF, Tavolaro A, Molinari A, Fallico C. Use of Vegetable Fibers for PRB to Remove Heavy Metals from Contaminated Aquifers-Comparisons among Cabuya Fibers, Broom Fibers and ZVI. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017; 14:E684. [PMID: 28672800 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14070684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) is the material most commonly used for permeable reactive barriers (PRB). For technical and economic reasons, hoter reactive substances usable in alternative to ZVI are investigated. The present study takes into account a vegetable fibers, the cabuya, investigating its capacity to retain heavy metals. The capacity of the cabuya fibers to adsorb heavy metals was verified in laboratory, by batch and column tests. The batch tests were carried out with cabuya and ZVI, using copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The results obtained by the cabuya fibers showed a very high adsorption capacity of heavy metals and resulted very similar to those obtained for the broom fibers in a previous study. The high value of the absorption capacity of the cabuya fibers was also confirmed by the analogous comparison made with the results of the batch tests carried out with ZVI. Column tests, using copper, zinc and cadmium, allowed to determine for the cabuya fibers the maximum removal percentage of the heavy metals considered, the corresponding times and the time ranges of the release phase. For each metal considered, for a given length and three different times, the constant of degradation of cabuya fibers was determined, obtaining values very close to those reported for broom fibers. The scalar behavior of heavy metal removal percentage was verified. An electron microscope analysis allowed to compare, by SEM images, the characteristics of the cabuya and broom fibers. Finally, to investigate the chemical structure of cabuya and broom fibers, the FTIR technique was used, obtaining their respective infrared spectra.
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