Chemistry and Derivatives of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Reacted with Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) in a Laboratory Environment

N. Rebecca Buell
Mississippi State University, Department of Geosciences Starkville, Mississippi [email protected]

Petroleum spills cost the petroleum industry, service station owners, and/or state governments exceedingly large sums of money to remediate. As a result of the costs associated with remediation efforts, more in-situ technologies, including chemical oxidation, are being used as cost-effective alternatives to traditional methods of remediation. There are numerous case studies documenting the success of hydrogen peroxide as an in-situ oxidizer in that benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes (BTEX) concentrations were lowered below target cleanup levels. However, little information is available regarding the behavior of petroleum hydrocarbons post injection of hydrogen peroxide, how petroleum hydrocarbons are oxidized over time, and what chemical derivatives may result from the oxidation process. Laboratory protocols have been employed to yield data regarding the behavior of BTEX specifically, and all volatile gasoline constituents in general, over a period of time post injection of hydrogen peroxide. Experimental results indicate that variations in petroleum constituent behavior are predicated on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the degree of contamination, and the presence of a soil matrix.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90070 © 2007 AAPG Foundation Grants in Aid