A method for the rapid dechlorination of low molecular weight chlorinated hydrocarbons in water

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 29; no. 10; pp. 2434 - 2439
• Main Authors: Muftikian, Rosy, Fernando, Quintus, Korte, Nic
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1995; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 1-dichloroethylene; 2-dichloroethylenes; 2-trichloroethylene; Applied sciences; bimetallic systems; carbon tetrachloride; chlorinated hydrocarbons; chloroform; dechlorination; dichloromethane; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Groundwaters; hydrodechlorination; iron; Natural water pollution; Pollution; TCE; tetrachloroethylene; Water treatment and pollution; dichloromethane; chlorinated hydrocarbons; 2-dichloroethylenes; dechlorination; carbon tetrachloride; 1-dichloroethylene; tetrachloroethylene; 1; chloroform; 2-trichloroethylene; TCE; iron; bimetallic systems; hydrodechlorination; Dechlorination; Decontamination; Chlorocarbon; Laboratory scale; Water pollution; Bimetallic layer; Ground water
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/0043-1354(95)00102-Q

1,1,2-Trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), at concentrations of 20 ppm in aqueous solutions were rapidly hydrodechlorinated to ethane (in a few minutes), on the surface of palladized iron in batch experiments that were performed in closed vials. No intermediate reaction products such as 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethylenes and vinyl chloride were detected at concentrations > 1 ppm either in the headspace or in solution. The chloromethanes, CCl 4, CHCl 3 and CH 2Cl 2 were also dechlorinated to methane on palladized iron; the CCl 4 was dechlorinated in a few minutes, the CHCl 3, in less than an hour and the CH 2Cl 2, in 4–5 h. These results indicate that an above-ground treatment method can be designed for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with low molecular weight chlorinated hydrocarbons.