ABSTRACT
Due to the extensive use of toxic chemicals in industry and agriculture during the last few decades, the remediation of environmental hazardous waste contamination has become a major focus for environmental professionals. The toluene preoxidation experiments were carried out at molar ratios of 2:1, 4:1, and 6:1 with respect to concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in Fenton’s Reagent compared with the toluene concentration. The complicated components and any physical/chemical properties of natural soil were likely to modify the preoxidation carried out by Fenton’s Reagent. The decrease in half-velocity constant due to chemical preoxidation indicates a decrease in toxicity to the microbes when introduced to pretreated trichloroethylene (TCE), since the chemical oxidation by Fenton’s Reagent was significant. When biodegradation of TCE was investigated with activated sludge, 20 to 30 percent of the total TCE disappearance was accounted for by biodegradation. Sequential Fenton’s Reagent addition to 1-mM pentachlorophenol (PCP) solutions caused stepwise reductions in PCP concentration and gradual production of chloride ion.
