ABSTRACT
Nickel-enhanced iron (NiFe) was found to be an effective catalyst for the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE). Degradation rates were initially rapid, but systematically declined during use. The loss of catalyst activity correlated well with the amount of TCE treated. A reactive transport model was developed to account for the behaviour, combining hyperbolic TCE concentration dependence and declining surface reactivity. Simulations yield empirical parameters that describe system behaviour and can be used to predict long-term performance.
