A novel permeable reactive biobarrier for ortho-nitrochlorobenzene pollution control in groundwater: Experimental evaluation and kinetic modelling

Three novel permeable reactive barrier (PRB) materials composed of Cu/Fe with 0.24% and 0.43% (w/w) Cu loadings or Fe0 supported on wheat straw were prepared (termed materials E, F and G). These materials exhibited excellent pollutant removal efficiency and physical stability as well as the ongoing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of hazardous materials 2021-10, Vol.420, p.126563-126563, Article 126563
Main Authors:	Liu, Cuicui, Chen, Xiaohui, Banwart, Steven A., Du, Wenchao, Yin, Ying, Guo, Hongyan
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Biodegradation Kinetics o-NCB PHREEQC Reduction
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Three novel permeable reactive barrier (PRB) materials composed of Cu/Fe with 0.24% and 0.43% (w/w) Cu loadings or Fe0 supported on wheat straw were prepared (termed materials E, F and G). These materials exhibited excellent pollutant removal efficiency and physical stability as well as the ongoing release of organic carbon and iron. Column experiments showed that materials E, F and G removed almost 100% of ortho-nitrochlorobenzene (o-NCB) from water. The rates of iron release from the E and F columns exceeded those from column G but this had no significant effect on o-NCB removal. The bacteria that degraded o-NCB in E and F were also different from those in G. The levels of these bacteria in the columns were higher than those in the initial materials, with the highest level in column E. The simultaneous reduction and microbial degradation of o-NCB was observed, with the latter being dominant. A kinetic model was established to simulate the dynamic interactions and accurately predicted the experimental results. Organic carbon from the wheat straw supported the majority of the biomass in each column, which was essential for the bioremediation process. The findings of this study suggest an economically viable approach to mitigating o-NCB pollution. [Display omitted] •Novel PRB materials were prepared using Cu/Fe, Fe0 and wheat straw.•The level of o-NCB degrading bacteria increased significantly in this PRB system.•Biodegradation mainly dominated o-NCB removal rather than iron reduction.•A 1D model for the reactive transport of o-NCB through the PRB was constructed.•Modelling demonstrated that organic carbon supported the majority of the biomass.
ISSN:	0304-3894 1873-3336