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QUANTIFICATION OF PRODUCTS FROM ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE USING GRANULAR-GRAPHITE ELECTRODES
Citation:
Fang, Y., S R. AlAbed*, AND V R. Kukainis*. QUANTIFICATION OF PRODUCTS FROM ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE USING GRANULAR-GRAPHITE ELECTRODES.
Description:
Electrochemical dechlorination of Trichloroethylene (TCE) in aqueous phase was studied using graphite as a cathode in a packed bed reactor in a closed system. TCE contaminated matrix solution was circulated through the electrochemical reactor where TCE was reduced at the graphite cathode. Reduction of 99% TCE in the system was observed during 25 hours run at 15 DC volts. Detgradation products were traced by sampling reactor matrix solutoin and overhead gas during the experiments. The major product was chloromethane. Its concentration slowly increased during the experiments at 5 and 10 V, but decreased following a concentration peak at 15 V, indicating the further reduction of this product. Light gases such as methane, ethane, ethene, and acetylene were measured in gas phase as a result of TCE reduction and graphite electrode reactions. Chloride in the matrix solution was analyzed during the experiments and mass balance on total chlorine in the system was conducted. Chloride recovery was low during the tests. The recovery rate decreased as voltage increased. The test of chloride oxidation in a similar system (without TCE) found chloride depleted with time, indicating possibility that chloride generated from TCE reduction ws reacted in the system. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this treatment system using cathodic reaction to treat TCE contaminated sediments and soiils.