A laboratory scale study was conducted to evaluate the thermal remediation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in a saturated groundwater system using electrical resistance heating (ERH). Two experiments were conducted using a two-dimensional polycarbonate test cell, the first consisting of a single pool of TCE perched above a capillary barrier, the second consisting of two pools of TCE each perched on separate capillary barriers. Temperature data was collected during the heating process from an array of 32 thermocouples located throughout the test cell. Visualization of the vaporization of liquid phase TCE, as well as the upward migration of the produced vapour was recorded using a digital camera. Chemical testing was performed 48 hours after experiment termination to measure post heating soil concentrations. A co-boiling plateau in temperature was found to be a clear and evident earmark of an ongoing phase change in the pooled TCE. Temperature was found to increase more rapidly in the second experiment that included a fully spanning barrier. As temperatures increased above the co-boiling plateau, vapour rise originating from the source zone was observed, and was found to create a high saturation gas zone beneath the upper capillary barrier when no clear pathway was available for it to escape upwards. When the source zones had reached the target temperature of 100°C and the ERH process stopped, this high saturation gas zone condensed, leading to elevated TCE concentrations below as well as within the capillary barrier itself. The water table within the experimental cell was also noted to drop measurably when the gas zone collapsed. Post-testing chemical analysis showed reductions in TCE concentrations of over 99.04% compared to the source zone, although due to condensation of entrapped gas and convective mixing, there was a net redistribution of TCE within the experimental domain, especially within confined areas below the capillary barriers. A secondary set of experiments were conducted using a homogenous silica sand pack with no chemical contaminants to determine the effect, if any, of the wave shape of electrical input on the ERH process. It was found that in early time heating, square wave inputs consistently produced a more localized heating pattern when compared to the standard sine wave electrical input. This effect equalized between the two experiments as the ERH process went on, perhaps due to the increased dominance of conduction and convection as the mode of heat transfer in the test cell at higher temperatures. It is believed that the localization of heating in square wave experiments is due to a consistent power supply due to the lack of a sinusoidal ramping in power delivery. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-03-18 14:40:46.019

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No description available.

The lack of biodegradability of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is due to the presence of many strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Two common PFAS that are found in the environment are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). This work first studied an innovative pathway for PFAS removal through the adsorption of PFOA and PFOS (pre-concentrating the contaminants) by nanoscale zero-valent iron/reduced graphene oxide (rGO-nZVI) and their subsequent degradation via photocatalysis under UVC light. The GO that was later reduced in nanohybrid production was made utilizing a modified Hummer’s method. The rGO-nZVI nanohybrid was prepared for the first time via thermal reduction at high temperatures. Additionally, the nanohybrid was prepared using the wet chemistry method for comparison. LC/MS/MS analysis was conducted to determine the adsorption efficiencies for PFOA and PFOS using the nanohybrids and their successive removal under UVC light. Chlorinated hydrocarbons are another group of contaminants of concern that should be removed from the subsurface due to their harmful effects. In this study, a more complex mixture of the contaminants including PFAS and chlorinated hydrocarbons was investigated, which is usually found in the superfund and other contaminated sites. Considering the effectiveness of nZVI to remove chlorinated hydrocarbons from the subsurface, engineered nZVI coupled with rGO was utilized to enhance the removal efficiency of the mixture of contaminants, i.e., PFAS comingled with chlorinated hydrocarbons. The synthesized rGO-nZVI nanoparticle showed high adsorption efficiencies for both PFOA and PFOS, i.e., removal of 55.3%, 98.2%, and >99.9% of PFOA of 10, 1, and 0.1 mg/L, and 94.9%, 97.6%, and 85.0% of PFOS of 10, 1, and 0.1 mg/L, respectively, in 3 h. Later degradation of pre-concentrated PFAS under UVC light was also achieved. Using extracted rGO-nZVI, 55.1%, 77.6% of preconcentrated PFOS was degraded starting from 10, and 1 mg/L of initial concentrations before adsorption in the photoreactor at the end of 24 h. In comparison, 68.5% and 47.2% of PFOS and PFOA (starting from 1 mg/L each) was degraded, respectively, using rGO-nZVI directly under UVC light after 24 h. Moreover, it was found that rGO-nZVI had high adsorption capacity of 69.4% and 68.7% respectively for TCE and PFOA in a mixture of these contaminants. Under UVC irradiation, the preconcentrated mixture of TCE and PFOA were both degraded to below the detection limit in 21 h. It was also found that PFOA concentration dropped by 64.3% at 5 h and by 88.7% at 24 h by fresh rGO-nZVI in presence of 10 mg/L TCE. Short-chained PFCAs like PFHpA and PFHxA were found as the intermediates for PFOA degradation using rGO-nZVI under UVC light. Also, under UVC irradiation of a mixture of TCE and PFOA, TCE degradation was supported by the formation of intermediates during the reaction. Because of its composition, photocatalytic activity, large surface area, magnetic properties, and environmental friendliness, the thermal reduced rGO-nZVI particle demonstrated its potential to successfully remove PFAS and comingled chlorinated hydrocarbon from pre-concentration followed by degradation under UVC light. The nanohybrid is promising to be used to repair PFAS-contaminated water bodies.

Microcosms were constructed from aquifer sediment samples taken from an actively degrading chlorinated solvent contaminated site located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The objective of this study was to determine if and how the addition of cyclodextrin (CD) affects reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes. After chlorinated solvent degradation rates were established in anaerobic and aerobic microcosms, 100 mg/L of CD solution was added for a period of 21 days. CD was then removed after 26 days to simulate the degradation response of the aquifer in a post CD injection environment. Degradation rates were determined by analyzing PCE, TCE, and cis-DCE concentration data over the various phases of the experiment. Results from this study indicated that chlorinated solvent degradation could be either impaired or facilitated by the addition of CD. CD appeared to stimulate one anaerobic microcosm (IY-2c) where daughter production had not previously occurred. The activity of this microcosm was greatly enhanced by the addition of CD (0 uM/day to 13.89 uM/day). However, biotransformation of PCE in another anaerobic microcosm in which reductive dechlorination was occurring, ceased after the addition of CD (IY-1a). In a third group of microcosms the rate and extent of reductive dechlorination was greatly enhanced by the addition of CD. The effect of adding CD was also found to be highly dependent on the redox conditions in the microcosm, specifically if the conditions were strongly reducing. The most active microcosms, found in the Aerobic Group, also had the lowest ferrous iron concentrations (3.57 mg/L for BY-1a, 2.25 mg/L for BY-1b, and 0.41 mg/L for BY-1c). The microcosm (IY-2b) that showed no daughter production had the highest level of ferrous iron (44.22 mg/L). This study presents a qualitative approach to the affect of CD on MNA. / Master of Science

This work focused on using a microbubble dispersion to deliver hydrogen and carbon dioxide to anaerobic consortia to stimulate their ability to reductively dehalogenate tetrachloroethylene all the way to ethene and ethane. A continuous flow system, consisting of six anaerobic soil column bioreactors, inoculated with sediments from Virginia Tech's Duck Pond, was used for this study. Two columns received microbubbles containing hydrogen and carbon dioxide, two received sodium propionate, and two were not fed a substrate. A 30 micromolar PCE solution was delivered to the consortia at 3 ml/min. Microbubbles containing a mixture of 90% hydrogen and 10% carbon dioxide were effectively produced in a closed spinning disk generator, and were acceptable for delivering the gases to the columns. After the biodegradation study was completed, the microbubbles were found to have a pH of 4.4, due to the carbon dioxide. Microbubbles amended with NaOH to 0.01 molar yielded pH neutral microbubbles with improved stability. Methane was measured in all six columns throughout the experiment, verifying that methanogens were present. Methane levels were highest in the propionate columns, showing the the methanogens there were more active. Methane levels in the microbubble columns were similar to those in the control columns. Propionate and acetate were not detected in the columns where propionate was fed, showing that proton reducers and acetoclastic methanogens were both active. Recovery of PCE and the degradation products was almost 90% in the microbubble and control columns where most of the PCE was recovered in the effluent. The predominant product in both systems was TCE, although some ethene was detected in all four columns. The control consortia produced TCE averaging about five micromolar while the microbubble columns averaged about two micromolar TCE. One of the components of the microbubbles probably caused the lowered amounts of PCE reduction. That some ethene was seen in the microbubble columns suggests different conditions can be found to stimulate the further reduction of PCE with hydrogen and carbon dioxide microbubbles. The product recovery in the propionate columns was about 64%. Over half of the injected PCE was dechlorinated to ethene and ethane. / Ph. D.

Deux expériences ont été menées sur la plate-forme expérimentale "SCERES" afin d'évaluer les concentrations et les flux de vapeurs de TCE dans SCERES en présence de deux dalles de béton fissurées installées, l'une après l'autre, à la surface de SCERES. Cet aquifère poreux est un milieu hétérogène de grande échelle (25 x 12 x 3 m3). Les résultats ont montré que le panache de vapeur de TCE couvre la plupart du bassin au bout de 3 semaines depuis la création de la zone source de TCE dans le sous sol. L'hétérogénéité du site SCERES a engendrée une distribution verticale non uniforme de la concentration de vapeurs de TCE. La simulation du panache de vapeur dans SCERES a été effectuée au moyen du code de calcul multiphasique "SIMUSCOPP". La présence sur SCERES de la dalle de béton, un milieu peu perméable et peu diffusif, a constitué une "barrière" en vue du transfert de vapeurs de TCE vers l'interface dalle/atmosphère. Afin de mieux quantifier le flux de vapeurs à travers la dalle de béton, une étude de coefficient de diffusion et de perméabilité des deux dalles a été réalisée. Un mouvement vertical ascendant du toit de la nappe a généré un fort gradient de pression motrice de l'air du sol. Ceci a engendré une forte augmentation des flux de vapeurs à l'interface sol/atmosphère. La quantification de ces flux de vapeurs a été effectuée à l'aide d'une solution semi analytique basée sur la loi de Fick et la loi de Darcy en tenant compte à la fois de l'effet de gradient de pression motrice et l'effet de densité de vapeurs sur le transfert de vapeurs vers la surface du sol. L'intrusion de vapeurs de TCE dans le bâtiment modèle, installé sur la dalle de béton, a été générée par une mise en dépression dans ce dernier. Ce qui a fait augmenter la concentration de vapeurs de TCE sous la dalle ainsi dans le bâtiment. La simulation de l'intrusion de vapeurs dans l'air intérieur de bâtiment a été réalisée par l'intermédiaire du code de calcul multiphysics "COMSOL", avec lequel nous avons démontré l'évolution de la concentration de vapeurs obtenues expérimentalement dans le bâtiment et qui dépend directement de la variation spatio-temporelle du flux massique à travers la dalle. / Two experiments were conducted on the experimental platform "SCERES" to assess the TCE vapour concentrations and fluxes in SCERES with two concrete slabs installed, one after the other, on the ground surface. This artificial aquifer is a large scale (25 x 12 x 3 m3) heterogeneous porous medium. The results showed that the TCE vapour plume covers most of the basin 3 weeks after the creation of the TCE source area in unsaturated zone. The heterogeneity of SCERES has generated a non uniform vertical distribution of the TCE vapour concentration. Simulation of vapour plume in SCERES was carried out by the multiphase code "SIMUSCOPP".The presence in SCERES of a low permeability and low diffusive medium compared to the sand in the basin,as a concrete slab, constituted a "barrier" for the transfer of TCE vapour to the interface concrete slab / atmosphere. To better quantify the TOE fluxes through the concrete slab, a study of diffusion coefficient and permeability of both concrete slabs was done. An upward vertical movement of the water table has generated a strong soil air pressure driving gradient, which led to a strong increase in the TCE vapour concentrations near the surface which has increased the vapour fluxes at the interface soil / atmosphere. Quantification of vapour fluxes at the interfaces soil / atmosphere and concrete slab / atmosphere was performed using a semi analytical approach based onFick's and Darcy's laws by taking into account both the effect of the driving pressure gradient and the effect of density vapour on the vapour transfer towards the soil surface.The intrusion of TCE vapours into the model building installed on the concrete slab was generated by creating a vacuum. The results showed that, during the TCE vapour suction from the model building, the concentration of TCE vapours under the concrete slab and in the building increases. Simulation of vapour intrusion into indoor air was done by the computational Multiphysics code "COMSOL", allowing simulation of the evolution of the vapour concentration obtained experimentally in the building. Il was shown that they depend directly on the spatial-temporal variation of the mass flux through the slab.

<p>Chlorinated solvent are volatile organic substances that can be harmful for humans and for the environment. Examples of common chlorinated solvents are perchloroethene, PCE, and trichloroethene, TCE. Chlorinated solvents appear as contaminants in soils primarily where they have been used as washing fluids in dry-cleaning facilities or as degreasers in metal industries. Chlorinated solvents are DNAPLs (dense non-aqueous phase liquids), which means that they are not easily dissolved in water and that they sink to the bottom of the aquifer. Adsorption to soils is low so chlorinated solvents are mobile in soils. Chlorinated solvents can be harmful at low concentrations. Complete degradation can only occur under specific conditions. Because of the properties of these substances, investigation and analysis methodology are extra important for determining transport and risks in a contaminated area.</p><p>In this work, investigation and analysis methods for chlorinated solvents are described. Planning, fieldwork, modeling and risk analysis are described.</p><p>Projects concerning chlorinated solvents completed by Golder Associates AB have been compiled and analysed. Based on the compilation, conclusions have been drawn and statistics have been calculated. Investigations of the relation between concentrations in different media have been made as well as investigations of the relation between degradation products at different distances from the source and at different times after release. The data from the environmental investigations have been compared with theoretical literature values and modelling results.</p><p>The results show that there is a large natural variation in the data and that the differences between different areas are quite large. The results confirm the theory that the percentage of degradation products increases with distance from the source and with time from release. In addition, solvents with a higher degree of chlorination seams to appear to a greater extent in the soil and the more volatile substances seams to appear to a greater extent in the soil air.</p> / <p>Klorerade lösningsmedel är flyktiga klorerade organiska ämnen som kan vara skadliga för människor och miljön. Exempel på vanliga klorerade lösningsmedel är perkloreten, PCE och trikloreten, TCE. Klorerade lösningsmedel förekommer som markföroreningar främst efter användning som tvättvätska i kemtvättar och som avfettningsmedel i metallindustrin. Klorerade lösningsmedel är DNAPLs (dense non-aqueous phase liquids), det innebär att de är svårlösliga i vatten och att de sjunker och lägger sig på botten av akviferen. Fastläggningen i jorden är liten hos klorerade lösningsmedel som därmed är rörliga i marken. De är farliga redan vid små koncentrationer och fullständig nedbrytning sker endast under vissa förutsättningar. Ämnenas egenskaper gör att undersöknings- och analysmetodiken är viktig för att riktigt kunna bestämma deras utbredning och risk på ett förorenat område.</p><p>I detta arbete beskrivs undersöknings- och analysmetodiken för områden förorenade med klorerade lösningsmedel. Upplägg, fältarbete, modellering och riskbedömning beskrivs.</p><p>Projekt som handlar om klorerade lösningsmedel utförda av Golder Associates AB har sammanställts. Sammanställningen har analyserats och utifrån den har olika slutsatser dragits och statistik beräknats. Bland annat har samband mellan halter i olika medier samt samband mellan halter av nedbrytningsprodukter på olika avstånd från källan respektive efter olika lång tid från läckage har undersökts. Data från miljöundersökningarna har även jämförts med teoretiska litteraturvärden samt modelleringsresultat.</p><p>Resultatet visar att den naturliga spridningen av data är stor samt att resultaten skiljer sig åt mellan olika områden. Resultaten bekräftar teorierna att halten nedbrytningsprodukter ökar med avståndet från källan och med tiden samt att ämnen med högre kloreringsgrad finns i större utsträckning i jorden och att flyktigare ämnen finns i större utsträckning i porluften.</p>

"Trichloroethylene (TCE) is the most commonly found groundwater pollutant. The focus of this research was to determine the effectiveness of chemical oxidation for in-situ remediation of TCE contaminated aquifers. Analytical techniques were developed to measure the concentration of TCE and its degradation products in soil and in solution. Slurry tests were conducted to emulate in situ conditions. Various media used for the slurry tests included sand, silica and glass beads. In-situ chemical oxidation of the TCE was performed using sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8), Fenton’s reagent, Ozone and sodium persulfate activated by iron, ozone and zero valent iron. Persulfate oxidation was shown to be effective for TCE oxidation in the presence of all the media tested in slurry tests for various molar ratios of oxidant and catalyst (Fe). Approximately 75% of TCE destruction takes place in the first 5 minutes of the slurry test and 90% destruction within 24 hours. Fenton’s oxidation was tried with varying concentration of H2O2 and slurry volume. Percent removal of TCE decreased from a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 3.34% to 5% (w/v). It was found that persulfate oxidation activated by zero valent iron removed TCE more effectively than persulfate oxidation activated by ferrous iron. For persulfate oxidation activated by ozone it was found that 95% of TCE was destroyed at persulfate/TCE molar concentration of 10/1 with an initial rate constant of 0.2854/min. It was also found that increasing the amount of solids in the slurry test decreased the effectiveness of chemical oxidation. "

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:39:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Gonzaga Sanches Jorquera.pdf: 277124 bytes, checksum: 4d8602ef0dbe4f4a8ed4977768ad5580 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / TBI is defined as trauma in the encephalon from an external physical force that can result in a compromised motor, cognitive, emotional and/or change in behaviour. The most distinct element in TBI is a change in neuronfunctioning in relation to family and the community, both which undergo important reorganization and adaptation. The objective of this study was to identify and understand the commonalities and the specifics modification in living style and explore the effects of TBI through a case study a family with adolescent children who sustained TBI four years ago. Individual meetings were held with relatives, as well as a meeting with the immediate family to investigate the following: progression (of the injury) impact, perception and procurement of a support network. It was possible to identify that until the accident occurred, it was a close-knit family with good communication and relationship. The hospitalization phase resulted in a different perception (security vs. hopelessness), communication between individuals ceased to be as effective, with subsequent feelings of abandonment and being disconnected. The daughters were mourning theirs losses and the mother was concerned about maintaining a daily life style. Upon returning home, it was identified that the healthy spouse started to take on few new roles. The daughter, facing the adolescence, lost the ability for differentiated. When it became clear that full recovery of all symptoms was impossible, the relatives began to mourn the victim. Currently, they are all trying to return to former goals, even though the victim considers himself retired, focusing on successes, not failures. Finally, we conclude that even though it was a family with good cognitive and social resources, the illness caused a significant crisis that took four years before the family could find a new lease on life and try to carry on / Define-se o TCE como uma agressão ao encéfalo por força física externa que pode resultar em comprometimento motor, cognitivo, emocional e/ou mudanças no comportamento. O diferencial do TCE está nas alterações neurocomportamentais que exigem da família e rede de convivência próxima, importantes reorganizações e adaptações. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi identificar e compreender as comunalidades e especificidades na vivência e elaboração de um TCE tendo-se optado pela realização de estudo de caso de uma família com filhos adolescentes cujo provedor passara por um TCE havia quatro anos. Foram realizados encontros individuais com os familiares e um encontro com a família investigando: fases do adoecimento, impacto, crenças, rede de suporte encontrada. Foi possível identificar que até o momento do acidente, constituíam uma família coesa, com comunicação efetiva e bons vínculos. A fase de hospitalização suscitou diferentes percepções (segurança X desamparo), na qual a comunicação entre membros já não era tão eficaz, proporcionando sentimento de abandono e não coesão. As filhas se focavam nas perdas e a mãe nas realizações práticas que mantinham o funcionamento do sistema. No retorno para casa, identificou-se que o cônjuge saudável não tinha mais o parceiro e ganhou uma série de novas funções. As filhas perdem a base sólida para o processo de diferenciação, característico da fase do ciclo vital da adolescência. Com a consciência de que não haveria remissão total dos sintomas, os familiares entram em contato com o luto da figura perdida. Atualmente, verificou-se que todos estão tentando retomar os planos individuais, inclusive a figura adoecida que definiu para si o papel de aposentado, a partir do qual mantém o foco no que ganha e não no que perde. Enfim, pode-se concluir que mesmo se caracterizando por uma família com bons recursos cognitivos e sociais, o adoecimento causou uma importante crise e que, levou quatro anos para que os familiares começassem a dar um novo sentido à vida para tentarem seguir em frente