Sequential degradation of chlorophenols by photolytic and microbial treatment

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6043162

Miller, R M; Singer, G M; Rosen, J D; Bartha, R

Using the radiolabeled model pollutants 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (TCP) the authors demonstrated that the brief UV (300-nm) photolysis greatly facilitates the removal of the two chlorophenols from sewage through accelerated mineralization and binding of polar products. The addition of 0.1 M H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ strongly accelerated the photolysis process resulting in the half-lives of 1.68 and 0.87 min for DCP and TCP, respectively. In natural sunlight, half-lives of the chlorophenols were less than 1 day when H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ was present. During 4 days of incubation in activated sewage sludge, only 3% of unphotolyzed DCP and 1% of unphotolyzed TCP were mineralized. Mineralization rose to 79 and 59%, respectively, after photolysis in the presence of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/. Photolysis without H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ resulted in removal of chlorophenols from solution chiefly by binding. Increased mineralization and binding were observed also upon incubation of photolyzed chlorophenols in soil. Disruption of carbon-halogen bonds by brief photolysis followed by traditional biological effluent treatment offers an alternative to activated charcoal treatment for removal of xenobiotics from industrial effluents.

• Research Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6043162
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 22:10; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510101 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AROMATICS
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CLEANING
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
HALF-LIFE
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
HYDROXYL RADICALS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEROXIDES
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOLYSIS
RADICALS
RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES