Sunlight photochemistry of retort-water organonitrogen compounds in an inert atmosphere
The elevated temperature of an oil-shale codisposal process will enhance the atmospheric emission of volatile components. Important among the organic compounds are the nitrogen heterocycles and aromatic primary amines, which are chacterized by malodor and low order thresholds and by resistance to biotreatment. Atmospheric lifetimes are determined by various transport (e.g., dispersion, washout) and transformation phenomena. Photochemical alteration will be the major transformation process. Those compounds that degrade quickly may increase the atmospheric NO/sub x/ concentration, giving the potential for photochemical smog formation. Those with longer lifetimes may present health and aesthetic problems. The broad spectrum of compound types and isomers present in process-water headspace samples may result in a range of atmospheric lifetimes. The work reported here is the first investigation of vapor-phase atmospheric photoreactions leading to degradation of organonitrogen compounds emitted from process waters. Only direct photochemical reactions were studied. Headspace samples (65/sup 0/C) were generated in an inert atmosphere (N/sub 2/ gas) and exposed to atmospheric radiation in Tedlar gas-sampling bags. Headspace composition was monitored by capillary gas chromatography with flame thermionic or flame ionization detection. Time-course headspace analyses compared exposed and unexposed samples, and individual compounds were monitored to determine the degree of individual photochemical losses. Under these conditions, the alkylpyridines did not photodegrade, in contrast to other nitrogen heterocycles (e.g., pyrrole) and aromatic primary amines. This is significant because alkylpyridines comprise the largest portion of organonitrogen compounds emitted from process waters. It is anticipated that indirect photoreactions (e.g., radical-mediated) will be more extensive and important. 35 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA); California Univ., Richmond (USA). Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Health Research Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 5473190
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-20824; CONF-8604172-3; ON: DE86013192
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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040900* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400500 -- Photochemistry
AMINES
AROMATICS
ATMOSPHERES
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
RADIATIONS
RETORTING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER