The electrochemical regeneration of granular activated carbons in situ of permeable reactive barriers

Abstract

Permeable reactive barriers have proven to be an effective and cost efficient remediation technique for the clean-up of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites in extreme regions such as the Antarctic. The materials within these barriers, namely granular activated carbon, decontaminate migrating groundwaters via adsorption processes and prevent further spread of pollutants into the environment. However, with long operational periods, the activated carbon becomes saturated and is no longer effective at capturing contaminants. In an effort to prevent this, this thesis investigated the possibility of using in situ electrochemical treatments as a means of regenerating the activated carbon in th..