Title: Permeable Adsorbing Barriers for groundwater remediation from hexavalent chrome pollution

Authors: Michele Di Natale, Roberto Greco, Dino Musmarra

Addresses: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile – CIRIAM, Centro di Ricerche in Ingegneria Ambientale, Seconda Universita di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa CE, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile – CIRIAM, Centro di Ricerche in Ingegneria Ambientale, Seconda Universita di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa CE, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile – CIRIAM, Centro di Ricerche in Ingegneria Ambientale, Seconda Universita di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa CE, Italy

Abstract: Chrome ions removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto an activated carbon (Aquacarb 207EA™ by Sutcliffe Carbon) and a South African coal char is illustrated. Different chrome concentrations, pH and salinity levels are tested. Experimental data are interpreted by means of a Langmuir approach-based model. Results show that a Permeable Adsorbing Barrier (PAB) made of Aquacarb 207EA™ can protect a shallow aquifer from topsoil Cr^(VI) leaching even during heavy rainfalls and that Cr^(VI) is desorbed in dry periods, when clean water crosses the PAB, without any dangerous release in the aquifer.

Keywords: groundwater remediation; heavy metals; permeable reactive barriers; adsorption; soil contamination; hexavalent chrome pollution; shallow aquifers; aquifer protection; leaching; environmental technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2007.013235

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.1/2, pp.39 - 55

Published online: 13 Apr 2007 *

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