Henry's law constants of chlorinated solvents at elevated temperatures

Henry’s law constants for 12 chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) were measured as a function of temperature ranging from 8 to 93 °C, using the modified equilibrium partitioning in closed system (EPICS) method. The chlorinated compounds include tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, chloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloromethane, and chloromethane. The variation in Henry’s constants for these compounds as a function of temperature ranged from around 3-fold (chloroethane) to 30-fold (1,2-dichloroethane). Aqueous solubilities of the pure compounds were measured over the temperature range of 8-75 °C. The temperature dependence of Henry’s constant was predicted using the ratio of pure vapor pressure to aqueous solubility, both of which are functions of temperature. The calculated Henry’s constants are in a reasonable agreement with the measured results. With the improved data on Henry’s law constants at high temperatures measured in this study, it will be possible to more accurately model subsurface remediation processes that operate near the boiling point of water.     

Critical Review of Environmental Forensic Techniques: Part I

A multitude of forensic techniques are available for age dating and source identification, including aerial photography interpretation, corrosion models, the commercial availability of a compound, chemical associations with discrete type processes, chemical profiling, degradation models and contaminant transport models. These techniques, however, are rarely challenged or discussed in the literature relative to the scrutiny encountered in environmental litigation. When introduced as scientific evidence, the governing assumptions and quality of the data are critically evaluated and frequently successfully challenged. The purpose of this paper is to review five types of forensic techniques and discuss their merits so that a user can decide which technique, or combination of techniques, is most appropriate for developing the technical portion of a case.     

Levels and isomer profiles of Dechlorane Plus in the surface soils from e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas in South China

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a highly chlorinated flame retardant. Levels of DP were measured in surface soils from e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas in South China. Higher DP levels were found in e-waste recycling areas (undetectable-47.4 ng/g) than those in industrial areas (0.0336-4.65 ng/g) in South China. The highest DP concentration (3327 ng/g) was found at the e-waste recycling site in Qingyuan, while DP levels fell dramatically with increasing distance away from the recycling site, suggesting that the e-waste recycling activities are an important source of DP emissions. The mean ratios of anti-DP to total DP (f_anti) for different sampling areas ranged from 0.58 to 0.76 and showed no significant difference from the ratio for the technical DP products (t-test, p > 0.05). Further intensive studies are needed to investigate the process of DP degradation and its degradation products.     

Batch reactor kinetic studies on the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethylenes by tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin cobalt

Tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin cobalt was identified as a highly-active reductive dechlorination catalyst for chlorinated ethylenes. Through batch reactor kinetic studies, degradation of chlorinated ethylenes proceeded in a step-wise fashion with the sequential replacement of Cl by H. For perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), the dechlorination products were quantified and the C₂ mass was accounted for. Degradation of the chlorinated ethylenes was found to be first-order in substrate. Dechlorination trials with increasing catalyst concentration showed a linearly increasing pseudo first-order rate constant which yielded rate laws for PCE and TCE degradation that are first-order in catalyst. The dechlorination activity of this catalyst was compared to that of another water-soluble cobalt porphyrin under the same reaction conditions and found to be comparable for PCE and TCE.     

Quantification of biotransformation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in a biostimulation study: added value via stable carbon isotope analysis

Stable carbon isotope analysis of chlorinated aliphatic compounds was performed at an in situ biostimulation pilot test area (PTA) at a site where 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) and trichloroethene (TCE) were present in groundwater. Chlorinated products of TCE reductive dechlorination (cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC)) were present at concentrations of 17.5 to 126.4 micromol/L. Ethene, a potential degradation product of both 1,2-DCA dihaloelimination and TCE reductive dechlorination was also present in the PTA. Emulsified soybean oil and lactate were added as electron donors to stimulate anaerobic dechlorination in the PTA. Stable carbon isotope analysis provided evidence that dechlorination was occurring in the PTA during biostimulation, and a means of monitoring changes in dechlorination efficiency over the 183 day monitoring period. Stable carbon isotope analysis was also used to determine if ethene production in the PTA was due to dechlorination of TCE, 1,2-DCA, or both. Fractionation factors (alpha) were determined in the laboratory during anaerobic biotransformation of 1,2-DCA via a dihaloelimination reaction in four separate enrichment cultures. These alpha values (as well as the previously published ranges of alpha for the dechlorination of TCE, cDCE and 1,2-DCA) were used, along with isotopic values measured during the pilot test, to derive quantitative estimates of biotransformation during the pilot test. Dechlorination was found to account for 10.7 to 35.9%, 21.9 to 74.9%, and 54.4 to 67.8% of 1,2-DCA, TCE and cDCE concentration loss respectively in the PTA. Stable carbon isotope analysis indicates that dechlorination of 1,2-DCA, TCE and cDCE were all significant processes during the pilot test, while ethene production during the pilot test was dominated by 1,2-DCA dihaloelimination. This study demonstrates how stable carbon isotope analysis can provide more conservative estimates of the extent of biotransformation than do conventional protocols. In addition, in a complex mixed plume such as this, compound specific isotope analysis is shown to be one of the few methods available for clarifying dominant biotransformation pathways where breakdown products are non-exclusive (i.e. ethene).     

受氯代烃类污染的地下水环境修复研究进展

越来越多的地下水源正遭受氯代烃类有机物的污染,氯代烃类的地下环境行为及其污染环境的修复技术是当前环境学界的一个热点。目前修复这类污染环境的技术主要有抽出处理、渗透性反应墙和生物修复等。其中研究最多、应用最广的是利用表面活性剂强化抽出处理技术、零价铁降解氯代烃类的渗透性反应墙技术以及原位强化生物修复技术。零价铁反应墙如何长期稳定运行是目前的研究难题,也是该技术的发展目标。强化生物修复是具有巨大发展潜力的一项新兴技术,构建一个能同时降解多组分污染物的微生物生态群落并成功引入污染场地发挥最大功效,是地下水环境生物修复技术研究中的难点,也将是热点。     

挥发性氯代烃检测管速测技术

在阐述检测管测试原理的基础上,介绍了国内外挥发性氯代烃气体检测管的发展现状,展望了检测管在我国土壤和地下水污染快速诊断方面应用推广的前景及存在的问题。     

毛细管色谱柱分离氯苯类化合物的优化

介绍了不同极性毛细管色谱柱分离11种氯苯类化合物的方法,通过实验证明,随着色谱柱极性的增加,11种化合物的分离得到改善,采用DB-5和AC-20双柱定性可以避免各种氯代物的干扰,达到准确定性的目的。     

Variations in expression of carbon isotope fractionation of chlorinated ethenes during biologically enhanced PCE dissolution close to a source zone

The stable carbon isotope values of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its degradation products were monitored during studies of biologically enhanced dissolution of PCE dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) to determine the effect of PCE dissolution on observed isotope values. The degradation of PCE was monitored in a 2-dimensional model aquifer and in a pilot test cell (PTC) at Dover Air Force Base, both with emplaced PCE DNAPL sources. Within the plume down gradient from the source, the isotopic fractionation of dissolved PCE and its degradation products were consistent with those observed in biodegradation laboratory studies. However, close to the source zone significant shifts in the isotope values of dissolved PCE were not observed in either the model aquifer or PTC due to the constant input of newly dissolved, non fractionated PCE, and the small isotopic fractionation associated with PCE reductive dechlorination by the mixed microbial culture used. Therefore the identification of reductive dechlorination in the presence of PCE DNAPL was based upon the appearance of daughter products and the isotope values of those daughter products. An isotope model was developed to simulate isotope values of PCE during the dissolution and degradation of PCE adjacent to a DNAPL source zone. With the exception of very high degradation rate constants (>1/day) stable carbon isotope values of PCE estimated by the model remained within error of the isotope value of the PCE DNAPL, consistent with measured isotope values in the model aquifer and in the PTC.     

果园土壤有机氯农药残留的时间趋势研究

以天然荒地和蔬菜基地作为对照 ,于 1993年和 2 0 0 3年对北京市某果园中具有不同树龄的老果园和新果园的土壤有机氯农药 (HCH ,DDT)残留情况进行了定位监测 .结果表明 ,在禁用 2 0年后 ,土壤中的有机氯农药残留水平大幅度降低 ,其中老果园的有机氯农药残留浓度显著高于新果园 (P <0 0 5 ) .果园土壤有机氯残留浓度显著高于荒地和蔬菜基地对照 (P <0 0 5 ) .DDT是当地主要的有机氯污染物 ,利用绿色食品生产基地环境质量标准作为评价标准对该果园土壤的污染程度进行了评估 .评估结果表明 ,新果园的土壤质量能够满足绿色食品生产的要求 ,老果园由于土壤中DDT和HCH残留超标严重不适合作为绿色食品生产基地