New Technologies for Soil and Groundwater Remediation

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydro-carbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), are gradually entering and accumulating  in the soil and groundwater with large-scale applications of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs). These organic pollutants are generally low-solubility and ecotoxic, which will directly or indirectly impact ecosystem and human health. Thus, how to treat these potentially harmful contaminants and explore the underlying mechanisms is a worldwide concern.

Chemical oxidation is an efficient approach  for rapidly degrading toxic and bio-refractory organic compounds, by which pollutants can be oxidized directly by oxidants, e.g., hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), permanganate (MnO₄⁻), ozone (O₃), and persulfate (PS). However, the effect of pollutants removal through oxidants is limited due to their lower oxidation ability. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are capable of degrading most types of organic contaminants into harmless products through the production of reactive radicals (e.g., HO•, SO₄^•−, Cl^•, etc.), and have gained great attention in in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO). Effective activation methods, such as transition metals, semiconductor metal oxide, and HE activation on H₂O₂ for HO• generation, as well as heat, UV light, and transition metals activation on PS for SO₄^•− production, are developing for organic-contaminated soil and groundwater remediation. However, our knowledge of the innovative activation methods, along with the mechanisms behind them, is still limited. Further research is required for proposing more cost-effective advanced oxidation techniques in soil and groundwater remediation.

This research topic aims to explore the dynamics and mechanisms underlying the advanced oxidation processes for removing organic contaminants in soil and groundwater. Studies on advanced oxidation treatment approaches including (but not limited to) persulfate, H₂O₂, and permanganate are welcome in the form of original research, reviews, mini reviews, meta-analyses, and perspectives.

Dr. Canlan Jiang
Dr. Yuefei Ji
Guest Editors

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• soil remediation
• organic pollutants
• groundwater treatment
• advanced oxidation processes