Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Rapid dechlorination of pentachlorophenol

Journal Article · · National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry
OSTI ID:437321
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., Grand Junction, CO (United States)
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been mainly used as a wood preservative, but has also had many other industrial and agricultural applications, because it has broad pesticidal efficiency and it is inexpensive. Its widespread use has resulted in the contamination of groundwater and soil. Not only are its effects on ecosystems hazardous, but its degradation is difficult. Various remediation technologies have been investigated, including photodegradation, biodegradation and adsorption on substrates. Heavily contaminated soils pose a difficulty for biodegradation because the levels of PCP are not biologically manageable. A new remediation technology that completely and rapidly dechlorinates pentachlorophenol is presented here. Previous work demonstrated that polychlorinated biphenyls were converted to biphenyl in a short time. We have extended that investigation to a series of chlorinated phenols, including pentachlorophenol. The reactions were carried out at ambient temperature by mixing an aqueous solution of the chlorinated phenol (together with methanol, needed for complete dissolution) with the bimetallic system, palladium on iron. Mono-, di-, tri- and pentachlorophenol were all completely dechlorinated, the reaction products being phenol and chloride ions. The reaction product, phenol, was identified by GC/MS.
OSTI ID:
437321
Report Number(s):
CONF-960807--
Journal Information:
National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Journal Name: National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 36; ISSN 0270-3009; ISSN NMACDY
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English