Abstract:
Indiscriminate dumping of solid industrial wastes and the consequent ground water contamination by heavy metals such as Cr(VI) is a major environmental concern. Electrochemical fencing, an extension of electroremediation, appears to be a viable technique for impeding the vertical transport of heavy metals, dissolved in rain water, through the soil to mitigate ground water contamination. Preliminary experiments showed that electrochemical fencing captured 50% of the Cr(VI) dissolved in rain water. However, this percentage can be increased by changing, for example, electrode configuration or electrolyte composition. A novel mathematical model, that calculates the trajectory of Cr(VI) ions, was developed to provide practicing engineers a simple methodology to design and implement real-life electrochemical fencing systems. Because of its versatility, electrochemical fencing can be used to capture a wide variety of carcinogenic heavy metals, or even water soluble organic molecules, and hence warrants further investigation.