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Article
Oxidation of Recalcitrant Organics in Subsurface Systems
Hazardous Waste & Hazardous Materials
  • G. Whelan
  • Ronald C. Sims, Utah State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-1992
Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Abstract

In contrast to remedial techniques for contaminated subsurface systems that simply transfer hazardous wastes from one part of the environment to another (e.g., off-site landfilling), in-situ transformation (to less hazardous products) or destruction of recalcitrant organics may offer a safe and cost effective solution. Biochemical and chemical biotic/abiotic immobilization and detoxification of recalcitrant organics, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), associated with soil humification is a process that may serve as a basis for in-situ treatment of soils contaminated with wood-preserving or oily wastes. This paper addresses the potential for recalcitrant organic immobilization/humification as influenced by enzymatic (biotic) and metallic (abiotic) catalysis. Chemical stoichiometry and kinetic information are presented for abiotic catalysis of the PAH intermediate naphthalenediol using manganese. A simple model is presented for investigating the reductive-dissolution/auto-oxidation of manganese and the potential polymerization of naphthalenediol as influenced by manganese chemistry, and an illustrative experiment is presented demonstrating the near complete oxidation of 2,3-naphthalenediol by manganese oxide particles.

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This article's copyright is owned by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com/), and it is posted here with permission of the publisher.

Citation Information
G. Whelan and Ronald C. Sims. "Oxidation of Recalcitrant Organics in Subsurface Systems" Hazardous Waste & Hazardous Materials Vol. 9 (1992)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ronald_sims/46/