Controlling the Fenton Reaction for Soil Remediation

This paper describes the use elemental iron to control the Fenton reaction, a process in which ferrous ion reacts with hydrogen peroxide. It is widely believed that the Fenton reaction produces free radicals that can degrade organic chemicals. By using elemental iron in place of ferrous iron, we found that the vigor of the Fenton reaction can be controlled, and therefore can be used more effectively to remediate contaminated soil. Laboratory studies were done to compare the elemental iron approach with the original ferrous salt approach. It was found that elemental iron can increase the effectiveness of the Fenton reaction in degrading organic chemical such as Pentachlorophenol (PCP). The mechanism of control lies in the production of ferrous irons from elemental iron in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.