Experimental and mathematical evaluation of trichloroethylene removal from saturated soil using acetic acid with saturated ozone

The present study is an experimental and numerical analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE) removal from soil by ozone oxidation combined with acetic acid flushing. A one-dimensional advective–dispersive flow model is proposed to mathematically describe the TCE dissolution and oxidation from the porous medium using acetic acid and ozone, respectively. The model could reasonably well predict the experimental data in the effluent for dissolution, oxidation, and total removal of TCE. Sensitivity analyses evaluated the effects of different parameters, such as ozone and acetic acid concentration, flow rate, and initial TCE concentration, on the dissolution and oxidation processes. Remediation time was reduced by more than 29% by applying acetic acid solutions saturated with ozone. Increasing the ozone concentration was the best method for reducing remediation time, followed by increasing acetic acid concentration and increasing flow rate.