Assessment and prediction of the transformation kinetics determining the environmental fate of contaminants of concern. Part I, remediation of 1,2,3 - trichloropropane with zerovalent zinc. Part II, prediction of the environmental fate of novel munitions compounds

The environmental fate of contaminants of concern (CoCs) is controlled—in part—by chemical degradation reactions. Often these reactions are not well understood, hindering efforts to limit associated risks to human health and the environment. In this study, the kinetics of CoC degradation are studied with respect to addressing two aspects of contamination mitigation: remediation and prevention. Part I concerns the legacy and emerging contaminant 1,2,3-trichloropopane (TCP) and the prospects for remediating contaminated groundwater by reduction (i.e., dechlorination) with zerovalent zinc (ZVZ). Part II concerns the development of kinetic models to evaluate the environmental persistence of novel energetic compounds under consideration for use in munitions formulations.