A series of bench-scale experiments was carried out to determine the rate and efficiency with which benzene and p-xylene, components of gasoline, could be removed from an unsaturated soil by air stripping. Glass columns, 30 cm in length, were packed with soil and wetted to volumetric moisture contents of 10 and 18 percent. Air saturated with one of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was used to load the column. Clean air was used to strip the contaminant from the soil. Benzene and p-xylene concentrations in the soil water and air were reduced four orders of magnitude after a few hours (2-8) of stripping. Benzene was removed faster than p-xylene. Air flow was the rate-limiting step early in the stripping, however slow desorption from the soil became rate-limiting as the stripping progressed. As moisture content increased the rate of removal of both contaminants decreased.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/291366 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Davis, James Hal, 1956-, Davis, James Hal, 1956- |
| Contributors | Conklin, Martha |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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