Our team is developing solar-powered <i>in situ </i>electrochemical technologies that manipulate the groundwater chemistry in wells through electrolysis to create favorable conditions for either reduction and/or oxidation of the contaminants. Compared with other active technologies, such as injection of oxidizing or reducing chemicals, the electrochemical technologies have significant advantages: 1) sustainable and cost-effective - relies on renewable energy from solar panels and uses cost-effective materials, 2) environmentally friendly - it does not require the addition of solutions or chemicals into groundwater, and 3) versatile and easy-to-maintain - the rates of redox reactions are controlled by adjusting electric current intensity. The technology can be used to treat a mixture of contaminants either by reduction of contaminants using iron anodes and/or oxidation by generation of Reactive Oxygen Species. In this study, we compare the cost and duration of in-well Electrochemical Reduction (IER) system with Electrolytic Reactive Barrier (ERB) and In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) with Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) for the treatment of a shallow aquifer (3 m) with total amount of 200 kg of TCE in the plume. The cost assessment for IER was derived from the reaction rates achieved in the laboratory scale experiments and through capture-zone analysis used to assess the number of recirculation remediation wells needed to treat the plume (4). The costs for IER, ERB and ZVI per TCE removed are estimated at 702 $/kg, 865 $/kg and 1360 $/kg, respectively. In addition, the estimated treatment duration is 10 months for IER and 18 months for ERB, which implies that IER brings significant advantage in both removal efficiency and cost-effectiveness, in addition to being sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Cost-analysis of <i>in situ </i>electrochemically-induced systems for groundwater remediation

254th National Meeting (2017)

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Cost-analysis of in situ electrochemically-induced systems for groundwater remediation