A major factor complicating the cleanup at many sites is co-contamination by both organic compounds and heavy metals. Whereas much research has focused on the removal of either organic compounds or metals, relatively few studies have investigated simultaneous removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from soil. / The studies reported in this thesis have evaluated a novel technique for the simultaneous mobilization of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds and heavy metals (HMs) from a field contaminated soil. Soil extraction with washing aids {surfactants/cyclodextrin in combination with chelating reagent(s)} was optimized for mobilization efficiency, recovery/recycle of washing additives, and in parallel detoxification of mobilized contaminants. PCB extraction efficiencies were determined with a method that converted all the PCB congeners to dicyclohexyl by hydrogenation over palladium. Studies demonstrated that 10 minutes of ultrasonic mixing of field contaminated soil with a combination of surfactant (30 mL L-1) or cyclodextrin (100 g L-1) and a sparing quantity (2 mmoles) of EDTA, simultaneously mobilized appreciable quantities of PCBs and most analyte metals (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr). / Relative to individual reagents, combinations of surfactant (Brij 98, Triton X-301, or Triton XQS-20) or cyclodextrin (RAMEB or HPCD) with EDTA did not influence PCB extraction efficiencies perceptibly. The presence of surfactant or cyclodextrin in admixture with EDTA did not appreciably change the efficiency of mobilization of most heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn) but did increase the recovery of Cu and Pb with nonionic surfactant and cyclodextrin. When coupled with PCB removal by hexane back-extraction and precipitation of the HMs (mediated by hydrolysis of zero-valent magnesium (Mg0)}, aqueous washing suspension was regenerated and recycled twice to mobilize more contaminants from the soil. Three sonication-washes with the same charge of reagent mobilized appreciable quantities of PCBs (68 - 83%) and virtually all of the available Cd, Cu, Mn, and Pb and lesser amounts of the Zn (56%), Ni (59%), and Cr (50%) but only small quantities of Al (28%) and Fe (30%). / The release of EDTA from heavy metals complexes was efficient for most metals (99%) but was influenced by the nature of surfactant. EDTA recovery (62-65%) post three cycles of soil washing, hexane back-extraction, and Mg 0 treatment was similar for all reagent combinations. Among surfactants and cyclodextrin, only anionic surfactants suffered losses to Mg0 treatment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.100355 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Ehsan, Sadia. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.) |
| Rights | © Sadia Ehsan, 2006 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002483924, proquestno: AAINR25137, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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