DECOMPOSITION OF HIGH CONCENTRATION AQUEOUS TRICHLOROETHYLENE DERIVED FROM A PROPOSED SUPER FUND SITE BYSOLAR OR UV IRRADIATED PHOTOCATALYSTS

THE USE OF SOLAR AND/OR ARTIFICIALLY IRRADIATED SEMICONDUCTOR POWDERS TO PHOTOCATALYTICALLY MINERALIZE 12-400 PPM TRICHLOROETHYLENE (TCE) CONTAMINATED WATER OBTAINED FROM A CANDIDATE SUPERFUND SITE IS PROPOSED. THESESEMICONDUCTOR POWDERS ARE INEXPENSIVE, NONTOXIC, RECYCABLE AND HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED TO MINERALIZE TCE, PENTACHLOROPHENOL AND MANY OTHER HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS RAPIDLY. THE STUDIES PERFORMED TO DATE HAVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY USED PURIFIED WATER SPIKED WITH THE TOXICANT TO BE DECOMPOSED. HOWEVER, WATER OBTAINED FROM A SUPERFUND SITE CONTAINS OTHER CONTAMINANTS AND MINERALS, TOGETHER WITHPH AND TURBIDITY FACTORS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO DUPLICATE INTHE LABORATORY. THIS POSES A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO THE PHOTOCATALYTIC SYSTEM'S ABILITY TO DESTROY THE TARGETED CONTAMINANT(S). THE SUCCESSFUL DECOMPOSITION OF TCE IN THISWATER WILL REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT EXTENSION OF PHOTOCATALYTIC WATER PURIFICATION FROM THE LABORATORY INTO THE FIELD. THIS PHASE I EFFORT WILL LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE PHASE II DESIGN OF AN ON-SITE, PROTOTYPICAL OUTDOOR PHOTOCATALYTIC REACTOR FOR WATER PURIFICATION AT A SUPERFUND SITE.