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The potential and feasibility of treating soil contaminated with electrical insulating oil, Aroclor 1016, containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with stabilized hydrogen peroxide were evaluated using columns packed with soils of two different matrixes. The column experiments showed that PCBs degraded by the stabilized hydrogen peroxide treatment in both soil matrixes, although the efficacy of the treatment depended strongly on the soil characteristics. The removal of PCB-containing oil was higher in sandy silt soil than in sandy soil. While a higher iron content promoted hydrogen peroxide oxidation of the contaminant in sandy silt soil, lower permeability and higher organic matter content contributed to an oxidation decrease as a function of depth. Dehydrogenase activity measurements indicated no substantial changes in microbial activity during the treatment of both sandy and sandy silt soils, thus offering opportunities to apply the hydrogen peroxide treatment to the remediation of PCB-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Calcium and magnesium peroxides were applied for the treatment of soil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls-containing electrical insulating oil (Aroclor 1016). The removal of PCB-containing electrical insulating oil was achieved with the addition of either calcium peroxide or magnesium peroxide alone and dependent on dosages of the chemical. A 21-d treatment of 60% watered soil with the moderate addition (chemical/oil weight ratio of 0.005/1) of either calcium peroxide or magnesium peroxide resulted in nearly complete (96±2%) oil removal, unsubstantial increase in soil pH and almost no changes in oxygen consumption and dehydrogenase activity, making it suitable for the soil decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]