The effect of fuel and chlorinated hydrocarbons on a vapor phase carbon adsorption system

A soil vapor extraction (SVE) system installed at the South Tacoma Well 12A Superfund Site was designed to recover 1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (1,1,2,2-TCA) from the vadose zone. The basic system consisted of twenty-two extraction wells, three centrifugal blowers, and three carbon adsorbers. The carbon adsorbers were regenerated on site by steam stripping. The mixture of steam and stripped organics was condensed and then decanted to separate the water from the organic phase. The recovered water was air stripped to remove the dissolved organics prior to discharge to the city storm sewer. The recovered organic phase was then shipped off site for thermal destruction. Previous reports described operating difficulties with the decanter, and air strippers. Sampling and analyses were performed which identified the problem as the simultaneous recovery of unexpected fuel hydrocarbons in addition to the solvents. Recovery of fuels resulted in a light phase in the decanter in addition to the water and heavy solvent phases. This required redesign of the decanter to handle the third phase. The effectiveness of desorption of the carbon beds by steam stripping gradually decreased as the remediation progressed into the second year of operation. Samples were collected from the carbon beds to evaluate the effect of the fuel and chlorinated hydrocarbons on the activated carbon. This report describes the results of these analyses. The data indicated that both 1,1,2,2-TCA and fuel hydrocarbons in the C-9 to C-24 range remained in the carbon beds after steam regeneration in sufficient quantities to require replacing the carbon