Removal of hexachlorobenzene and phenanthrene from clayey soil by surfactant- and ultrasound-assisted electrokinetics

Removal of nonpolar contaminants such as most organic compounds are transported primarily by electroosmosis in electrokinetic remediation, thus the process is effective only if the contaminants are soluble in pore fluid. Hydrophobic organic compounds such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and phenanthrene (PHE) can adsorb strongly to clayey soil. Therefore, in this study, enhancements were done by adding 2-hydroxylpropyl- Β -cyclodextrin surfactant and ultrasonication comparably to assist the electrokinetic treatment in improving the mobility of these hydrophobic compounds. The results show that HCB and PHE were mobilized and removed in both cases. But HCB is more difficult to remove than PHE, because of its highly stable nature and low water-solubility property. Ultrasound-assisted test performed better PHE reduction than surfactant-assisted test, because ultrasound can degrade the contaminant through oxidation by free radicals.