Remediation of 1,4-Dioxane in the Environment- a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Remediation of 1,4-Dioxane in the Environment

Course Outline

This online course provides fundamental information about 1,4-dioxane and an introduction to field applications of viable treatment technologies to remove this contaminant from the environment. Specific topics include dioxane production and environmental occurrence, properties and behavior of dioxane in the environment, laboratory analysis of dioxane, treatment technologies for dioxane in groundwater, treatment of dioxane in soil, and ongoing research on dioxane treatment.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will

Understand the unique chemical properties of 1,4-dioxane;
Have an understanding of the challenges associated with removing 1,4-dioxane from the environment;
Develop an understanding of some of the common process and product uses for dioxane;
Understand the behavior of dioxane in the environment;
Understand the types of laboratory procedures can be used to better detect dioxane in samples;
Have a general understanding of the regulatory framework for dioxane in soil and groundwater;
Develop a basic understanding of how ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide can be used to treat dioxane in water;
Develop a basic understanding of how ozone and hydrogen peroxide can be used to treat dioxane in water;
Understand some of the limitations of using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treating dioxane in water;
Develop an understanding of how AOPs have been applied at a variety full- and pilot-scale treatment projects, and the relative levels of success observed at those sites;
Understand some of technologies for which research is ongoing to assess whether they are capable of treating dioxane; and
Have a general understanding of how some remedial technologies may be useful in theory for treatment of dioxane in soil.

Intended Audience

This course is intended primarily for environmental engineers.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendees of this course will obtain practical knowledge pertaining to the properties of 1,4-dioxane as an environmental contaminant, and common remedial strategies that have demonstrated some level of success in pilot- and full-scale applications. Accordingly, this information is useful for environmental professionals who have been, or will be, tasked with evaluating various remediation strategies for a site that is contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, as well as those in a position to consider whether 1,4-dioxane should be added to the analytical suite for site investigation.

Course Introduction

In recent years, the contaminant 1,4-dioxane has received an increasing amount of attention as a probable carcinogen, and has been identified as a contaminant in groundwater at a significant number sites across the United States. The physical and chemical properties and behavior of 1,4-dioxane create challenges for its characterization and treatment. Options commonly considered for remediation of sites impacted with 1,4-dioxane in groundwater typically include groundwater recovery in conjunction with ex situ treatment technologies. The focus of this course will be to provide the attendee with an introduction to common remedial strategies used to address 1,4-dioxane in groundwater.

Course Content

The focus of this course will be to provide the attendee with an introduction to common remedial strategies used to address 1,4-dioxane in groundwater. You are required to study the following technical document from the EPA:

Remediation of 1,4-Dioxane in the Environment

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

A 1,4-dioxane is a synthetic industrial chemical that has been used as a solvent in various products, and was used in the past primarily with 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) as a stabilizer and corrosion inhibitor. It is a probable carcinogen and has been detected in groundwater at numerous sites across the United States. Additionally, it is highly mobile and very recalcitrant in the environment. These unique properties create challenges for treatment of groundwater that has been contaminated with this compound. Accordingly, this course provides fundamental information about 1,4-dioxane, and introduces treatment technologies to remove this contaminant from groundwater. Specific topics include:

a. Common process and product uses for 1,4-dioxane.
b. Chemical properties of 1,4-dioxane.
c. Challenges associated with removing 1,4-dioxane from the environment.
d. How ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide can be used to treat dioxane in water
e. How ozone and hydrogen peroxide can be used to treat dioxane in water.
f. Limitations of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treating dioxane in water.
g. Summarized information for some case studies where AOPs have been applied, and the relative levels of success observed at those sites.
h. Other remedial strategies for which limited data is available, or for which research is ongoing.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

a. Technical Fact Sheet – 1,4-Dioxane, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 2014 (http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrro_factsheet_contaminant_14-dioxane_january2014_final.pdf)
b. Treatment Options for Remediation of 1,4-Dioxane in Groundwater, Spring 2007 Edition of Environmental Engineer, Published by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (http://www.aaees.org/downloadcenter/EESAppliedResearchandPracticeV02P1.pdf)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.