Hydrophobic organic compounds [HOCs] (e.g., coal tars and creosote) that contaminate groundwater sorb to the subsurface media and are relatively insoluble in water (solubilities from 1 to 1000 mg L-1). Thus, commercial non-ionic surfactants are used to solubilize and mobilize HOCs during in situ, pump-and-treat remediation of contaminated groundwater. Loss of surfactant oligomers by sorption to aquifer sediment, however, reduces the effectiveness of the surfactant. Three-column, chromatographic experiments (Figure 1) help to assess variations in oligomer loss from a mixture of surfactants that span a range of Octophenol Echoxylate (EO) values (Figure 2). Sediment in he 'residual' column is contaminated with Tetrachloroethane (PCE). Breakthrough curves (Figure 1) showing a clear contrast in sorbtion properties of different EO surfactants suggest that these experiments aid in matching surfactant properties to those of the subsurface sediment to be remediated.

U of Utah Researcher: Bill Johnson, Geology & Geophysics

Heavy metals and other contaminants can be removed from wastewater using specially designed biomass. Most recently we have been studying the effectiveness of immobilizing biomass in a porous polymeric bead. This work was funded by the U.S. Bureau of mines.

U of Utah Researcher: Ed Trujillo, Chemical & Fuels Engineering