Hot water extraction with in situ wet oxidation: Kinetics of PAHs removal from soil

To find the desorption isotherms and oxidation reaction rates, semi-continuous experiments with residence times of 1 and 2 h were performed using aged soil at 250 °C and hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agent. In all combined extraction and oxidation flow experiments, PAHs in the remaining soil after the experiments were almost undetectable. In combined extraction and oxidation no PAHs could be detected in the liquid phase after the first 30 min of the experiments. Based on these results, extraction with hot water, if combined with oxidation, should reduce the cost of remediation and can be used as a feasible alternative technique for remediating contaminated soils and sediments.