Recovery of chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene contaminated groundwater using a hybrid treatment system

In this laboratory pilot-scale study, a hybrid treatment system has been developed to remove chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene and fine particles from chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene-contaminated groundwater before it is applied for further recovery. The two-stage system contained fiber-ball filtration followed by nanofiltration membrane processes. The measured chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene and suspended solids of the tested groundwater were 850 μg/L and 1,052 mg/L, respectively. Up to 97.3 % of chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene and 99.9 % of SS could be removed by the hybrid system with an operational pressure of 4.1 kg/cm2. The chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene removal mechanism in the fiber-ball filtration process could be due to adsorption. Approximately 98.2 and 78.6 % of chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene rejection was observed when nanofiltration membrane was used for chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene removal with the recover rate of 80 % and initial chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene concentration of 1 and 10 mg/L. Higher chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene rejection can be obtained when lower chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene concentration (1 mg/L) was applied. High chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene concentration (10 mg/L) would increase the pore size of nanofiltration, which causes the decrease in chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene rejection rate. Approximately 46.6 % of flux drop was observed when nanofiltration membrane was used along compared to the system using FF as the first treatment stage. This indicates that the application of fiber-ball filtration could maintain a higher flux of groundwater treatment. The developed fiber-ball filtration and nanofiltration hybrid membrane system is able to reduce the chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene and solid concentrations to meet the water reuse and groundwater remediation standards.