ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses an interesting and relevant groundwater cleanup by presenting a case submitted by Keith B. Rapp, a hydrogeologist with Delta Environmental Consultants, Inc. in St. Paul, MN. Adsorption is a natural process in which molecules of a liquid or gas are attracted to and then held at the surface of a solid. Carbon adsorption is a separation technique. The organic compounds present are removed from the water and are transferred to the surface of the carbon. Oxidation technologies can be used to completely destroy the organics present in water. With the ultraviolet light (UV)/peroxide system, high-intensity ultraviolet lights are used to catalyze the formation of hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide. The company uses standard intensity UV bulbs held within a stainless steel tank. The ozone is bubbled into the bottom of the tank, and a header system evenly distributes the gas bubbles across the bottom of the reactor.
