Photochemical reactions of anthropogenic chemicals in seawater
- Univ. of California, Davis (USA)
Sunlight-driven, photochemical reactions can be a major degradative force for anthropogenic organic compounds in the aquatic environment. Chlorinated phenols, various classes of pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are among some examples of the compounds shown to be degraded by sunlight. Most environmental photochemistry has been studied in fresh water, despite the fact that the oceans cover more than 70% of the earths surface and receive large inputs of anthropogenic chemicals via atmospheric transport, runoff, and coastal outfalls. This fact, along with increasing pressure for ocean waste disposal as land options dwindle, present a need for information on the photochemical reactions of anthropogenic organic chemicals in seawater. Several probable seawater pollutants were selected as probes for studying photochemical reactions including, 2-nitrotoluene, 4-nitrotoluene, styrene, 4,5-dichloroguaiacol, 4,5,6-trichloroguaiacol and tetrachloroguaiacol. Dilute solutions of each probe were prepared in buffered (pH 8), distilled water (DW), synthetic seawater (SSW) and natural seawater (NSW), then irradiated in a temperature-controlled photoreactor fitted with a General Electric F40BL fluorescent lamp to simulate sunlight. Samples were taken at regular intervals, concentrated using solid phase extraction techniques and analyzed by gas chromatography. Photolysis rates were determined assuming first, or pseudo-first, order kinetics. Photoproducts were identified by gas chromatography;mass spectrometry and confirmed by comparison to standards when available. By determining rates in DW containing selected components of SSW, at SSW concentrations, the inorganic compounds mediating the photochemical reactions in seawater could be determined.
- OSTI ID:
- 7069307
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8809264-; CODEN: ACWCA
- Journal Information:
- Preprints of Papers Presented at National Meeting, Division of Water, Air and Waste Chemistry, American Chemical Society; (USA), Vol. 28:2; Conference: American Chemical Society Division of Environmental Chemistry, Los Angeles, CA (USA), 25-30 Sep 1988; ISSN 0099-7293
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
NITRO COMPOUNDS
STYRENE
TOLUENE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
SEAWATER
WATER POLLUTION
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)