EDTA, NTA, Alkylphenol Ethoxylate and DOC Attenuation during Soil Aquifer Treatment
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 6
Abstract
Removals of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and carboxylated alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites (APECs) were studied at the Sweetwater (Tucson, Ariz.) soil aquifer treatment site that treated chlorinated secondary effluent. The site was operated in a first phase by flooding irregularly for weeks interrupted by days of drying and in a second phase by a regular schedule of flooding for 3 days and drying for 4 days. The average hydraulic loading rates were 0.13 and in the first and second phases, respectively. During drying, oxygen intruded at least deep into the unsaturated subsurface causing nitrification of the ammonium that was retained in the top layer during flooding. Nitrification increased nitrate concentrations to but most was removed to during transport to depth. At depth, removals of DOC, EDTA, NTA, and APECs during the first phase were 85, 80, 90, and 98%, slightly higher than during the second phase. Most of the DOC removal occurred during transport to and most of the trace organics removal occurred during transport from 3 to depth.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF). Valuable contributions to this work by Dr. Yoshiko Fujita (INEEL, Idaho Falls, Id.) and Dr. David Quanrud (University of Arizona) are acknowledged.
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© 2006 ASCE.
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Received: Nov 28, 2005
Accepted: Nov 28, 2005
Published online: Jun 1, 2006
Published in print: Jun 2006
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