Treatment of TCE- and PCE-contaminated groundwater using UV/H2O2 andO3/H2O2 oxidation processes

Abstract

The feasibility of O3/H2O2 and UV/H2O2 treatments the purification of groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was evaluated by laboratory and pilot-scale studies. Both methods showed rapid and extensive removal of the chlorinated ethylenes. Chloride measurements and by-product studies indicated a high level of mineralization. The health-based guidelines set by the World Health Organization were easily achieved for PCE and TCE as well as the predicted-no-effect-concentration (PNEC) values reached with extended treatment time. Owing to the partial stripping of TCE and PCE during ozonation treatment, UV/H2O2 was selected for further studies in a continuous-flow mode using a commercially available UV-sterilizor. The continuous-flow studies suggest UV/H2O2 could be useful for the purification of contaminated sites.