Abiotic Reductive Dechlorination of Tetrachloroethylene and Trichloroethylene in Anaerobic Environments

Abstract : Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are among the most frequently detected ground water contaminants at industrial sites, including many DoD facilities. Due to the high cost and uneven performance of traditional remediation technologies, monitored natural attenuation is emerging as a new technology for ground water remediation of pollutants such as these. In addition, there is growing interest in active remediation technologies that employ abiotic minerals. PCE and TCE are susceptible to reductive dechlorination by microorganisms as well as reduced minerals such as iron sulfide (FeS). Unlike biological reductive dechlorination, which often results in accumulation of harmful intermediates such as cis 1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), abiotic mineral-mediated dechlorination of PCE and TCE tends to result in complete transformation to non-toxic products such as acetylene. To more accurately apply natural attenuation and other remediation technologies, a greater understanding of the geochemical factors affecting the rates of purely abiotic reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE is needed. Additional tools are also needed to determine whether or not abiotic reductive dechlorination is occurring at a particular site, and its relative importance compared to microbial dechlorination under a variety of geochemical conditions.