Soil, Clay, and Caustic Soda Effects on Solubility, Sorption, and Mobility of Hexachlorocyclopentadiene

摘要

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (hex or C-56) is a highly toxic compound and poses a potential hazard to humans and the environment. The chemical industry in Illinois has been a major user of C-56 for decades; however, very little information has been published concerning the environmental impacts of this compound on aquatic or soil systems. The present environmental concern is the disposal of large quantities of industrial wastes containing C-56. The project was initiated to determine the attenuation mechanisms and capacity of selected clay minerals and soils for C-56 adsorption, to develop a chemical model to predict C-56 migration through soil materials, and to identify the major degradation products of C-56 in the environment. C-56 was found to be readily adsorbed by soil materials; the adsorption capacity of C-56 was highly correlated with the total organic carbon (TOC) content. Adsorbed C-56 remained immobile in the earth materials when leached with water, landfill leachates, and caustic soda brine solution; but they were highly mobile when leached with organic solvents. To prevent migration of C-56 from landfills, it is recommended that C-56 wastes and organic solvents not be disposed in the same landfill area.