Halocarbons in the environment: estimates of thermodynamic properties for aqueous chloroethylene species and their stabilities in natural settings

Standard partial molal thermodynamic parameters for the aqueous chlorinated-ethylene species, perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (trans-1,2,-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) have been estimated by using experimental gas-solubility data and correlation algorithms. The provided thermodynamic values may be used to calculate properties of reactions involving the aqueous chloroethylene species at a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Estimated values for the chloroethylenes were used, along with published values for minerals, gases, aqueous ions, and aqueous neutral organic species, to calculate the stability of chloroethylene species in equilibrium with the minerals magnetite, hematite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite in the subsurface. Estimated values for the aqueous chloroethylenes were also used to calculate reduction potentials for microbially-mediated reductive dechlorination half-reactions at elevated temperatures. Calculations indicate that all aqueous chloroethylene species are energetically favored to decompose to ethylene(aq) under a wide range of conditions in the subsurface, by both abiotic and biotic pathways. Anaerobic microbially mediated degradation is especially favored under conditions at least sufficiently reducing to promote sulfate-reduction, but not under conditions sufficient for microbial denitrification, pyrolusite reduction, or ferric-iron reduction.