Coupled in situ reactors using Fe0 and activated carbon for the remediation of complex contaminant mixtures in groundwater

The use of a combination of Fe° and granular activated carbon as fillings for reactive permeable barriers was investigated for the remediation of complex contaminant mixtures. Column tests carried out with the same concentration of the two model contaminants, trichloroethene (TCE) and monochlorbenzene (MCB), showed an increased life-time of the activated carbon by a factor of 4 in combination with Fe° and no substantial limitations in the use of activated carbon by Fe 0 . Keeping the two materials separate yielded better results than mixing them presumably due to precipitate build-up in the activated carbon in the mixed svstem.