Combining Soil Vapor Extraction and Electrokinetics for the Removal of Hexachlorocyclohexanes from Soil
Dr. João M. M. Henrique,
Dr. Julia Isidro,
Prof. Cristina Saez,
Dr. Rúben Lopez‐Vizcaíno,
Prof. Angel Yustres,
Prof. Vicente Navarro,
Prof. Elisama V. Dos Santos,
Prof. Manuel A. Rodrigo
Affiliations
Dr. João M. M. Henrique
Postgraduate Program in Chemical Engineering School of Science and Technology Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova 59078-970 Natal/RN Brazil
Dr. Julia Isidro
Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies Department of Chemical Engineering Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Campus Universitario, s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Prof. Cristina Saez
Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies Department of Chemical Engineering Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Campus Universitario, s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Dr. Rúben Lopez‐Vizcaíno
Geoenvironmental Group Civil Engineering School Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Avda. Camilo José Cela s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Prof. Angel Yustres
Geoenvironmental Group Civil Engineering School Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Avda. Camilo José Cela s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Prof. Vicente Navarro
Geoenvironmental Group Civil Engineering School Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Avda. Camilo José Cela s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Prof. Elisama V. Dos Santos
Postgraduate Program in Chemical Engineering School of Science and Technology Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova 59078-970 Natal/RN Brazil
Prof. Manuel A. Rodrigo
Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies Department of Chemical Engineering Universidad de Castilla La Mancha Campus Universitario, s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
Abstract This paper focuses on the evaluation of the mobility of four hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers by soil vapor extraction (SVE) coupled with direct electrokinetic (EK) treatment without adding flushing fluids. SVE was found to be very efficient and remove nearly 70 % of the four HCH in the 15‐days of the tests. The application of electrokinetics produced the transport of HCH to the cathode by different electrochemical processes, which were satisfactorily modelled with a 1‐D transport equation. The increase in the electric field led to an increase in the transport of pollutants, although 15 days was found to be a very short time for an efficient transportation of the pollutants to the nearness of the cathode. Loss of water content in the vicinity of the cathode warns about the necessity of using electrokinetic flushing technologies instead of simple direct electrokinetics. Thus, results point out that direct electrokinetic treatment without adding flushing fluids produced low current intensities and ohmic heating that contributes negatively to the performance of the SVE process. No relevant differences were found among the removal of the four isomers, neither in SVE nor in EK processes.
