Treatment experiments for removal of hydrogen sulfide from saline groundwater in Kuwait

Abstract

Laboratory and field experiments have been carried out to find an optimum method for the treatment of hydrogen sulfide-rich groundwater that often occurs at comparatively shallow depths (15–40 m from the surface) in the urban areas of Kuwait City and is pumped to the surface during dewatering of the construction sites. The treatment would be necessary to remove the gas from the pumped groundwater before its disposal, either on the surface or to the stormwater network, to avoid health and environmental hazards created by the release of the hydrogen sulfide gas, which is toxic, to the atmosphere or to the sea. Based on these experiments, it has been recommended that an economic and reliable hydrogen sulfide treatment facility for groundwater pumped at the study area should consist of sand filters, followed by aeration units for the removal of major part (60–70%) of hydrogen sulfide. Chlorination or activated carbon adsorption can be utilized as a polishing process to remove the residual hydrogen sulfide, depending on its concentration in the water after the aeration treatment and the rate of groundwater pumping.

Keywords:

• Groundwater treatment
• Remediation
• Water quality
• Kuwait group aquifer
• Batch experiments
• Column experiments
• Field experiments

Acknowledgments

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of Kuwait has partially funded the study. The work was carried out in the Water Management and Hydrology Department under the Water Resources Division of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). Permissions for publication of the paper (KISR Publication No. KISR11402) from the managements of EPA and KISR are gratefully acknowledged.