title: Combined effect of microwave and activated carbon on the remediation of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil.
abstract: The application of microwave and activated carbon for the treatment of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated soil was explored in this study with a model compound of 2,4,5-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB29). PCB-contaminated soil was treated in a quartz reactor by microwave irradiation at 2450MHz with the addition of granular activated carbon (GAC). In this procedure, GAC acted as microwave absorbent for reaching high temperature and reductant for dechlorination. A sheltered type-K thermocouple was applied to record the temperature rising courses. It was shown that the addition of GAC could effectively promote the temperature rising courses. The determination of PCB residues in soil by gas chromatography (GC) revealed that rates of PCB removal were highly dependent on microwave power, soil moisture content, and the amount of GAC added. GC with mass spectrum (MS) detector and ion chromatography were employed for the analysis of degradation intermediates and chlorine ions, respectively. It was suggested that microwave irradiation with the assistance of activated carbon might be a potential technology for the remediation of PCB-contaminated soil.
authors.affiliation: Persistent Organic Pollutants Research Centre, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xitao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000032:analysis; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007700:Kinetics; D008872:Microwaves; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000528:radiation effects; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002713:Chlorine; D002244:Carbon; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls