Trichloroethene (TCE)

About TCE Contamination

Trichloroethene (TCE) is one of the most common chlorinated solvents found in contaminated groundwater across the United States. Widely used as a degreaser in manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries, TCE is persistent in the subsurface and a known health concern. TCE is part of the chlorinated ethenes family and is a key parent compound for the degradation sequence PCE → TCE → DCE → vinyl chloride.

Abiotic Reduction with ZVI

Hepure’s Ferox zero valent iron powders treat TCE abiotically — destroying the compound without producing harmful daughter products like dichloroethene (DCE) or vinyl chloride. Since 2000, Ferox iron powders have been used at more than 150 sites across North America.

Detailed kinetics studies by Dr. Paul G. Tratnyek at Oregon Health & Science University have shown that Ferox Flow gave the most favorable TCE degradation results compared to leading competitor iron powders — more than twice the activity when normalized to surface area.

In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO)

Permanganate is a powerful oxidant that chemically reduces chlorinated ethene compounds quickly and effectively. For TCE, permanganate oxidation produces manganese dioxide and chloride ions as end products. Both potassium permanganate (KMnO4, up to 5% solution) and sodium permanganate (NaMnO4, 40% liquid) deliver the same permanganate ion (MnO4⁻) and have identical oxidation chemistry.

Enhanced Bioremediation

For sites suitable for biological treatment, Hepure’s emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) and sodium lactate provide electron donors to support anaerobic reductive dechlorination by Dehalococcoides bacteria. Ferox Plus (eZVI) combines ZVI with EVO in a single formulation for dual chemical and biological treatment.