Field evaluation of perox-pure™ chemical oxidation technology

This paper presents the field evaluation results for an advanced chemical oxidation technology developed by Peroxidation Systems, Inc., of Tucson, Arizona. The technology, known as the perox-pure™ technology, was evaluated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Site 300 in Tracy, California, in September 1992.

The perox-pure™ technology uses ultraviolet radiation and hydrogen peroxide to oxidize dissolved organic compounds in water. At the LLNL site, this technology was evaluated in treating groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOC) including trichloroethene (TCE); tetrachloroethene (PCE); 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA); 1,1-dichloroethane (DCA); and chloroform. The perox-pure™ system generally produced an effluent that contained TCE, PCE, and DCA at levels below detection limits, and TCA and chloroform at levels slightly above detection limits. The system achieved maximum removal efficiencies of greater than 99.9, 98.7, and 95.8 percent for TCE, PCE, and DCA, respectively. The system also achieved removal efficiencies of up to 92.9 and 93.6 percent for TCA and chloroform, respectively. The treatment system effluent met California drinking water action levels and federal drinking water maximum contaminant levels for all VOCs at the 95 percent confidence level. Cost analysis indicated that the groundwater remediation cost for a 50-gallon per minute perox-pure™ system would range from $7 to $11 per 1,000 gallons, depending on contaminated groundwater characteristics. Of this total cost, the perox-pure™ system direct treatment cost would range from $3 to $5 per 1,000 gallons.