Complete remediation of PCE contaminated unsaturated soils by sequential anaerobic-aerobic bioventing.

Bioventing principles have been applied to completely dechlorinate tetrachloroethylene vapors in the unsaturated zone in a sequential anaerobic-aerobic pattern. The aerobic step yields trans-DCE and VC as PCE reductive dechlorination byproducts, while TCE and cis-DCE are observed as intermediates. The aerobic step results in rapid oxidation of the VC and trans-DCE to carbon dioxide. Hydrogen was delivered in the gas phase as a reducing agent for the anaerobic step at levels of 1%, and oxygen at 4.2% was used as an electron acceptor in the aerobic step. PCE and VC half lives in the anaerobic and aerobic steps respectively, where less than 10 min.