Temperature Effects on PCE Degradation on ZVI in Column Experiments with Deionized Water

The effects of rising groundwater temperatures on zerovalent iron (ZVI)-based remediation techniques will be critical in accelerating chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) degradation and side reactions. Therefore, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) degradation with three ZVIs widely used in permeable reactive barriers (Gotthart-Maier cast iron [GM], Peerless cast iron [PL], and ISPAT sponge iron [IS]) was evaluated at 10-70 °C in deionized water. From 10 to 70 °C, PCE degradation half-lives decreased from 25 ± 2 to 0.9 ± 0.1 h (PL), 24 ± 3 to 0.7 ± 0.1 h (GM), and 2.5 ± 0.01 to 0.3 ± 0.005 h (IS). Trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation half-lives at PL and GM decreased from 14.3 ± 3 to 0.2 ± 0.1 h (PL) and 7.6 ± 2 to 0.4 ± 0.1 h (GM). This acceleration of CHC degradation and the stronger shift toward reductive β-elimination reduced the concentration of potentially harmful metabolites with increasing temperatures. PCE and TCE degradation yields an activation energy of 28 (IS), 58 and 40 kJ mol^-1 (GM), and 62 and 53 kJ mol^-1 (PL). Hydrogen gas production by ZVI corrosion increased by 3 orders of magnitude from 10 to 70 °C, and an increased chance of gas clogging was observed at high temperatures.