Inhibition of hydroxyl radical reaction with aromatics by dissolved natural organic matter
Remediation of hydrophobic pollutants is complicated by sorption of these compounds to hydrophobic sites of dissolved natural organic matter (NOM), suspended particulates, soil, and sediment. This sorption causes the pollutants to be less easily degraded by remediation techniques. Reaction of aromatic compounds with hydroxyl radical is inhibited by dissolved natural organic matter (NOM). The degree of inhibition is significantly greater than that expected based on a simple model in which aromatic compound molecules bound to NOM are considered to be unreactive. In this study, hydroxyl radical was produced at steady-state concentrations using Fenton chemistry (H{sub 2}O{sub 2} + Fe{sup 2+} {yields} Fe{sup 3+} + HO{sup {minus}} + HO{sm_bullet}). Suwannee River fulvic acid and humic acid were used as NOM. The most likely mechanism for the observed inhibition is that hydroxyl radical formation occurs in microenvironmental sites remote from the aromatic compounds. In addition to changes in kinetics, pyrene hydroxyl radical reaction also exhibited a mechanistic change in the presence of fulvic acid. The mechanism changed from a reaction that was apparently first-order in pyrene to one that was apparently second-order in pyrene, indicating that pyrene self-reaction may have become the dominant mechanism in the presence of fulvic acid. Dissolved NOM causes significant changes in the rate and mechanism of hydroxyl radical degradation of aromatic compounds. Consequently, literature rate constants measured in pure water will not be useful for predicting the degradation of pollutants in environmental systems. The kinetic and mechanistic information in this study will be useful for developing improved degradation methods involving Fenton chemistry.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of New Orleans, LA (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20026684
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 34; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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