The effects of climate change, increasingly scarce water resources and population growth pose growing challenges for sustainable land and water management. In the area of soil and groundwater remediation, too, the circular economy is helping to treat areas contaminated by pollutants effectively, economically and sustainably. 

In her presentation, Josephine Molin, Technology Applications Manager, ISCO, Evonik Corporation, USA, will show how 1,4-dioxane treatment can be successfully achieved by applying chemical in situ oxidation with KLOZUR® activated persulfate. This has been successfully tested at two sites contaminated with a mixture of 1,4-dioxane, chlorinated ethenes and chlorinated ethanes.

The field data evaluated not only the treatment effectiveness but also the persistence of potassium persulfate under flow-through conditions in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) setup. The field data indicates that the potassium persulfate persisted as expected based on observed groundwater flow velocities and temperatures. Performance monitoring showed a reduction of 1,4-dioxane, chlorinated ethenes, and chlorinated ethanes to below the limit of detection within the PRB. Significant reductions in groundwater concentrations were also observed downstream of the PRB over time.