Improved vacuum-UV (VUV)-initiated photomineralization of organic compounds in water with a xenon excimer flow-through photoreactor (Xe2* lamp, 172 nm) containing an axially centered ceramic oxygenator

Xenon excimer (Xe2*) lamps can be used for the oxidation and mineralization of organic compounds in aqueous solution. This vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photochemical method is mainly based on the photochemically initiated homolysis of water that produces hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals. The efficiency of substrate oxidation and mineralization is limited markedly due to the high absorbance of water at the emission maximum of the Xe2* lamp (lambda(max)=172 nm). This photochemical condition generates an extreme heterogeneity between the irradiated volume V(irr) and the non-irradiated ("dark") bulk solution. During VUV-initiated photomineralization of organic substrates, the fast scavenging of hydrogen atoms and of carbon-centered radicals by dissolved molecular oxygen produces a permanent oxygen deficit within V(irr) and adjacent compartments. Hence, at a constant photon flux the concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen within the zones of photo and thermal radical reactions limits the rate of mineralization, i.e. the rate of TOC diminution. Thus, a simple and convenient technique is presented that overcomes this limitation by injection of molecular oxygen (or air) into the irradiated volume by use of a ceramic oxygenator (aerator). The tube oxygenator was centered axially within the xenon excimer flow-through lamp. Consequently, the oxygen or air bubbles enhanced the transfer of dissolved molecular oxygen into the VUV-irradiated volume leading to an increased rate of mineralization of organic model compounds, e.g. 1-heptanol, benzoic acid and potassium hydrogen phthalate.     

有机配体对铁电絮凝体系中羟基自由基氧化降解苯胺的影响

铁电絮凝(Fe-EC)是一种高效的水处理方法,但其中有机污染物的去除机制尚不明晰。为研究有机废水中常见的有机配体对铁电絮凝过程中羟基自由基(·OH)产生以及有机污染物降解的影响,采用了对照实验、淬灭实验和电子自旋共振（ESR）等测试方法。结果表明：草酸(H₂C₂O₄)和乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)能有效促进铁电絮凝对苯胺(AN)的氧化降解,而·OH是起主要作用的活性氧化物;草酸和EDTA体系中主要存在的Fe(Ⅱ)络合物浓度与羟基自由基产率成正相关关系,1 mol的Fe(Ⅱ)-EDTA²⁻会产生235 mmol的·OH,是草酸的9倍;EDTA会与污染物竞争羟基自由基。进一步分析可知,在铁电絮凝体系中,EDTA的浓度为0.05 mmol·L⁻¹时,对苯胺氧化降解的促进效果最佳。以上研究结果可为认识铁电絮凝中污染物的去除机制提供参考。     

Mn3O4催化臭氧化钻井废水的作用机理

通过静态实验,探讨了Mn3O4对钻井废水臭氧化过程的催化作用机理,考察了Mn3O4及Cl-对臭氧分解、水体湍动程度、羟基自由基抑制剂碳酸氢根和叔丁醇的加入对COD去除率的影响,分析了反应过程中TOC和pH的变化。结果表明,催化剂加量为100 mg/L时,臭氧分解率由单独臭氧时的38.2%增加到81.4%,Mn3O4对钻井废水中有机物的吸附去除率仅为2%,O3/活性炭体系对COD去除率与单独臭氧效果接近,说明臭氧在催化剂表面存在吸附作用,促进臭氧分解;水体不搅拌与搅拌速度增加为900 r/min时,COD去除率由52%增加到58%,搅拌程度对钻井废水COD去除效果影响不大;HCO3-浓度为100 mg/L时,COD去除率降低到41.2%,说明了体系中有羟基自由基产生;氯离子浓度为1 000 mg/L,臭氧的分解率降低了9.2%,证明了臭氧在催化剂表面的吸附作用;羟基自由基抑制剂叔丁醇的加入,使得COD去除率由54.3%降低为40.8%,证实了反应体系中存在羟基自由基。同时在反应过程中,体系的TOC 由191.9 mg/L降低至37.6 mg/L;pH由原来的11.2降低到6.3。实验现象说明,臭氧吸附在Mn3O4催化剂表面,分解产生羟基自由基,进而氧化去除钻井废水中有机物,这在某种程度上证明了Mn3O4催化臭氧化对有机物的降解遵循羟基自由基机理。     

Sonochemical degradation of a pharmaceutical waste,atenolol, in aqueous medium

Atenolol is a β-blocker drug and an identified emerging pollutant. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) utilise the reaction of a highly oxidising species (hydroxyl radicals, ^?OH) for the mineralisation of emerging pollutants since conventional treatment methodologies generally fail to degrade these compounds. In the present work, degradation of atenolol was carried out using ultrasound with frequencies ranging from 200 kHz to 1 MHz as a source of hydroxyl radical. The degradation was monitored by HPLC, total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and ion chromatography (IC). Nearly 90 % of degradation of atenolol was observed with ultrasound having 350 kHz. Both frequency and power of ultrasound affect the efficiency of degradation. Nearly 100 % degradation was obtained at a pH of 4. Presence of various additives such as sodium dodecyl sulphate, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate and bicarbonate was found to reduce the efficiency of degradation. Although nearly 100 % degradation of atenolol was observed under various experimental conditions, only about 62 % mineralisation (from TOC and COD measurements) was obtained. Nearly eight intermediate products were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF). These products were understood as the results of hydroxyl radical addition to atenolol. The degradation studies were also carried out in river water which also showed a similar degradation profile. A mechanism of degradation and mineralisation is presented.     

Sonolysis of alkylphenols in aqueous solution with Fe(II) and Fe(III)

The sonolytic degradation of alkylphenols (APs), such as butylphenol, pentylphenol, octylphenol, and nonylphenol (NP), in water was investigated at a sound frequency of 200 kHz with an acoustic intensity of 6 W cm(-2) under argon, oxygen, and air atmospheres. The sonolytic degradation rate of the APs under the conditions of the present study depended upon their alkyl chain length. The decrease in the degradation rate by the radical scavenging effect was in the range of about 48-82% for APs in the presence of 3 mM 2-methyl-2-propanol. The free radicals play a significant role in the sonolytic degradation process of the APs. In the presence of Fe(II) and Fe(III), the pseudo-first-order rate constants for the sonolytic degradation of 30 microM NP as a function of the concentration of Fe(II) and Fe(III) were estimated under argon and oxygen. The maximum rate constants were observed at 50 microM Fe(II) (0.139 +/- 0.008 min(-1)) and 100 microM Fe(III) (0.103 +/- 0.001 min(-1)) under oxygen. The total organic carbon concentration (TOC) was investigated under same conditions. TOC decreased in the range of about 50-70% during the sonication in the presence of Fe(II) and Fe(III) under argon and oxygen. The sonochemical effects by the addition of Fe(II) and Fe(III) as catalyst during the sonication under the proper atmosphere result in a remarkable enhancement of degradation and mineralization.     

Comparative study of H(2)O(2) and O3 effects on radiation treatment of TCE and PCE

The effects of H(2)O(2) and O(3) on the decomposition of trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) by gamma-rays (gamma-rays) were investigated in this work. The combined gamma-rays/O(3) process showed a synergistic effect and enhanced the removal of TCE and PCE compared with gamma-rays alone, but, the gamma-rays/H(2)O(2) process did not increase the removal. This interesting result was successfully identified by an electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy/spin-trapping method that can quantify hydroxyl radicals, which is directly related to the efficiency of TCE and PCE decomposition. For gamma-rays/H(2)O(2) system, there was no difference of hydroxyl radical production between gamma-rays alone and gamma-rays/H(2)O(2). This indicates gamma-rays cannot activate H(2)O(2) to produce hydroxyl radicals and this causes no increase of TCE and PCE removals. To the contrary, the production of hydroxyl radicals was obviously increased in the case of gamma-rays/O(3) process. This suggests additional hydroxyl radicals are produced from the reaction of O(3) with the irradiation products of water such as hydrated electrons, hydrogen atoms, etc. and this accelerates the removal of TCE and PCE.     

紫外波长对UV/Cl2高级氧化去除水中有机物的影响

为明确紫外波长对UV/Cl2高级氧化体系的影响,使用中心波长分别为267、275和286 nm的发光二极管LED作为光源,探究Cl2光解动力学、UV/Cl2体系自由基生成、对模式化合物溶液以及天然水、再生水TOC的去除。结果表明：在中性或酸性体系中,267 nm最接近HClO最大吸收波长237 nm,吸光度和量子产率均较大,羟基自由基产生水平较高,有机物去除效果较好;在碱性体系中,286 nm最接近ClO-最大吸收波长292 nm,尽管量子产率较小,但吸光度很大,有机物去除效果较好;由于水杨酸在292 nm附近有较强的竞争吸收,使用UV286去除水杨酸效果被削弱。应用UV/Cl2技术选择波长时需要考虑吸光度、量子产率、竞争吸收等因素;对于弱碱性天然水或再生水,采用波长为292 nm的紫外光一般可获得较优处理效果。     

Fenton法降解垃圾渗滤液中的溶解性有机质

垃圾渗滤液是一种高浓度难降解废水,含有大量有毒物质和溶解性有机质（dissolved organic matter, DOM）,可生化性差。Fenton试剂（Fe2++H2O2）能产生活性极强的羟基自由基（·OH）,能快速氧化渗滤液中DOM和微量有机物质。本研究采用Fenton法处理垃圾渗滤液,结果表明,在优化的处理条件下,渗滤液COD和TOC去除率分别为65%和42%,其中混凝作用去除的COD和TOC分别为20%和21%。进一步通过紫外可见光谱扫描、SUVA254、E3/E4等指标评价,发现Fenton法可以有效降低渗滤液中的DOM含量,大分子有机物的含量明显减少,而分子量小的有机物含量相对增加,反应体系中溶解性有机物分子量随着反应的进行而降低,腐殖化程度降低。利用GC-MS定性出渗滤液原液中47种有机物,该类有机物在Fenton反应后上清液中未再检出,但5种物质（邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己）酯、植酮、角鲨烯、麥角甾烷醇和二氢胆固醇）在沉淀的铁泥中检出。研究发现不同pH值、H2O2和Fe2+浓度条件下,残留的COD与DOM、TOC和UV254存在显著的相关关系（R2> 0.9）。本研究结果为改进垃圾渗滤液处理工艺和探索DOM在Fenton过程中的降解行为提供科学依据。     

Role of cupric ions in the H2O2/UV oxidation of humic acids

The purpose of this study is to reveal the role of cupric ions as a natural water contaminant in the H2O2/UV oxidation of humic acids. Humic acids are naturally occurring organic matter and exhibit a strong tendency of complexation with some transition metal ions. Chlorination of humic acids causes potential health hazards due to formation of trihalomethane (THM). The removal of THM precursors has become an issue of public concern. The H2O2/UV process is capable of mineralizing humic acids due to formation of a strong oxidant, hydroxyl radicals, in reaction solution. Experiments were conducted in a re-circulated photoreactor. Different cupric concentrations (0-3.8 mg/l) and different pH values (4-9) were controlled to determine their effects on the degradation of humic acids, UV light absorbance at 254 nm, and H2O2. The presence of cupric ions inhibits humic mineralization and decreases the rate of destruction of humic acids which absorb UV light at 254 nm. On the other hand, the higher the cupric concentration, the lower the H2O2 decomposition rate. In the studied pH range, the minimum of total organic carbon (TOC) removal occurs at pH = 6 in the presence of 2.6 mg/l of cupric ions; both acidification (pH = 4) and alkaline condition (pH = 9) lead to a better removal of TOC. It is inferred from this study that the cupric-complexed form of humic acids is more refractory than the non-complexed one.     

Influence of sediment on the fate and toxicity of a polyethoxylated tallowamine surfactant system (MON 0818) in aquatic microcosms

The fate and toxicity of a polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA) surfactant system, MON 0818, was evaluated in water-sediment microcosms during a 4-d laboratory study. A surfactant solution of 8 mg l(-1) nominal concentration was added to each of nine 72-l aquaria with or without a 3-cm layer of one of two natural sediments (total organic carbon (TOC) 1.5% or 3.0%). Control well water was added to each of nine additional 72-l aquaria with or without sediment. Water samples were collected from the microcosms after 2, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of aging to conduct 48-h toxicity tests with Daphnia magna and to determine surfactant concentrations. Elevated mortality of D. magna (43-83%) was observed in overlying water sampled from water-only microcosms throughout the 96-h aging period, whereas elevated mortality (23-97%) was only observed in overlying water sampled from water-sediment microcosms during the first 24h of aging. Measured concentrations of MON 0818 in water-only microcosms remained relatively constant (4-6 mg l(-1)) during the 96-h period, whereas the concentrations in overlying water from microcosms containing either of the two types of sediment dissipated rapidly, with half-lives of 13 h in the 3.0% TOC sediment and 18 h in the 1.5% TOC sediment. Both toxicity and the concentration of MON 0818 in overlying water decreased more rapidly in microcosms containing sediment with the higher percent TOC and clay and with a higher microbial biomass. Mortality of D. magna was significantly correlated with surfactant concentrations in the overlying water. These results indicate that the toxicity of the POEA surfactant in water rapidly declines in the presence of sediment due to a reduction in the surfactant concentration in the overlying water above the sediment.     

Quantitation of Hydroxyl Radicals from Photolysis of Fe(III)-Citrate Complexes in Aerobic Water (5 pp)

Background For their high photoreactivity, Fe(III)-carboxylate complexes are important sources of H2O2 for some atmospheric and surface waters. Citrate is one kind of carboxylate, which can form complexes with Fe(III). In our previous study, we have applied Fe(III)-citrate complexes to degrade and decolorize dyes in aqueous solutions both under UV light and sunlight. Results have shown that carboxylic acids can promote the photodegradation efficiency. It is indicated that the photolysis of Fe(III)-citrate complexes may cause the formation of some reactive species (e. g. H2O2 and ·OH). This work is attempted to quantify hydroxyl radicals generated in the aqueous solution containing Fe(III)-citrate complexes and to interpret the photoreactivity of Fe(III)-citrate complexes for degrading organic compounds. Methods By using benzene as the scavenger to produce phenol, the photogeneration of ·OH in the aqueous solution containing Fe (III)-citrate complexes was determined by HPLC. Results and Discussion In the aqueous solution containing 60.0/30.0 mM Fe(III)/citrate and 7.0 mM benzene at pH 3.0, 96.66 mM ·OH was produced after irradiation by a 250W metal halide light (l ≥ 313 nm) for 160 minutes. Effects of initial pH value and concentrations of Fe(III) and citrate on ·OH radical generation were all examined. The results show that the greatest photoproduction of ·OH in the aqueous solution (pH ranged from 3.0 to 7.0) was at pH 3.0. The photoproduction of ·OH increased with increasing Fe(III) or citrate concentrations. Conclusion In the aqueous solutions containing Fe(III)-citrate complexes, ·OH radicals were produced after irradiation by a 250W metal halide light. It can be concluded that Fe(III)-citrate complexes are important sources of ·OH radicals for some atmospheric and surface waters. Recommendations and Outlook It is believed that the photolysis of Fe(III)-citrate complexes in the presence of oxygen play an important role in producing ·OH both in atmospheric waters and surface water where high concentrations of ferric ions and citrate ions exist. The photoproduction of ·OH has a high oxidizing potential for the degradation of a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic organic and inorganic substances. We can use this method for toxic organic pollutants such as organic dyes and pesticides.     

Electrochemical incineration of indigo. A comparative study between 2D (plate) and 3D (mesh) BDD anodes fitted into a filter-press reactor

This paper compares the performance of 2D (plate) and 3D (mesh) boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, fitted into a filter-press reactor, during the electrochemical incineration of indigo textile dye as a model organic compound in chloride medium. The electrolyses were carried out in the FM01-LC reactor at mean fluid velocities between 0.9?≤?u?≤?10.4 and 1.2?≤?u?≤?13.9 cm s^?1 for the 2D BDD and the 3D BDD electrodes, respectively, at current densities of 5.63 and 15 mA cm^?2. The oxidation of the organic matter was promoted, on the one hand, via the physisorbed hydroxyl radicals (BDD(^●OH)) formed from water oxidation at the BDD surface and, on the other hand, via active chlorine formed from the oxidation of chloride ions on BDD. The performance of 2D BDD and 3D BDD electrodes in terms of current efficiency, energy consumption, and charge passage during the treatments is discussed.     

Investigation of the generation of hydroxyl radicals and their oxidative role in the presence of heterogeneous copper catalysts

The presence and impact of hydroxyl radicals generated via the catalytic decomposition of H(2)O(2) over heterogeneous copper catalysts were investigated by using two detection methods, an electron spin resonance-spin trapping method and a chemical probe method. Detection of the (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide)-OH adduct signal and formation of 4-chlorocatechol during the oxidation of a 4-chlorophenol substrate demonstrated that the three heterogeneous copper catalysts employed here (CuO, Cu/Al(2)O(3) and CuO.ZnO/Al(2)O(3)) were capable of generating hydroxyl radicals in combination with H(2)O(2). The oxidative mechanism of the hydroxyl radical in the presence of heterogeneous copper catalysts is discussed with regard to the further oxidation of the (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide)-OH adduct and hydroxylated products of 4-chlorophenol oxidation. Interestingly, integration of the 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide-OH adduct signal could not be used to reliably measure the total amount of hydroxyl radicals generated as a result of oxidative attack on the adduct. This may be as a result of locally higher hydroxyl radical concentrations in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst leading to further unwanted oxidation of the (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide)-OH.     

Arsenic(III) and iron(II) co-oxidation by oxygen and hydrogen peroxide: Divergent reactions in the presence of organic ligands

Iron-catalyzed oxidation of As(III) to As(V) can be highly effective for toxic arsenic removal via Fenton reaction and Fe(II) oxygenation. However, the contribution of ubiquitous organic ligands is poorly understood, despite its significant role in redox chemistry of arsenic in natural and engineered systems. In this work, selected naturally occurring organic ligands and synthetic ligands in co-oxidation of Fe(II) and As(III) were examined as a function of pH, Fe(II), H₂O₂, and radical scavengers (methanol and 2-propanol) concentration. As(III) was not measurably oxidised in the presence of excess ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (i.e. Fe(II):EDTA < 1:1), contrasting with the rapid oxidation of Fe(II) by O₂ and H₂O₂ at neutral pH under the same conditions. However, partial oxidation of As(III) was observed at a 2:1 ratio of Fe(II):EDTA. Rapid Fe(II) oxidation in the presence of organic ligands did not necessarily result in the coupled As(III) oxidation. Organic ligands act as both iron speciation regulators and radicals scavengers. Further quenching experiments suggested both hydroxyl radicals and high-valent Fe species contributed to As(III) oxidation. The present findings are significant for the better understanding of aquatic redox chemistry of iron and arsenic in the environment and for optimization of iron-catalyzed arsenic remediation technology.     

Effect of copper(II) on natural organic matter removal during drinking water coagulation using aluminum-based coagulants.

Coagulation has been proposed as a best available technology for controlling natural organic matter (NOM) during drinking water treatment. The presence of heavy metals such as copper(II) in source water, which may form copper-NOM complexes and/or interact with a coagulant, may pose a potential challenge on the coagulation of NOM. In this work, the effect of copper(II) on NOM removal by coagulation using alum or PAX-18 (a commercial polymerized aluminum chloride from Kemiron Inc., Bartow, Florida) was examined. The results show that the presence of 1 to 10 mg/L of copper(H) in the simulated waters improved the total organic carbon (TOC) removal by up to 25% for alum coagulation and by up to 22% for PAX-18 coagulation. The increased NOM removal with the presence of copper(II) in the waters can most likely be ascribed to the formation copper-NOM complexes that may be more adsorbable on aluminum precipitates and to the formation of copper(II) co-precipitates that may also adsorb NOM. The presence of 1 to 5 mg/L of copper(I) in the waters containing 3 mg/L NOM as carbon was reduced below the maximum contaminant level goal (1.3 mg/L as copper) using either coagulant. The results suggest that the presence of copper(H) in source water may not adversely affect the NOM removal by coagulation. A good linear correlation was observed between the TOC removal efficiency and the log-total moles of the precipitated metals, which include the metal ion from a coagulant and the divalent metal ion(s) in source water.     

膜曝气生物反应器对受污染地表水的处理效果

以聚偏氟乙烯（PVDF）中空纤维膜为膜曝气生物反应器（MABR）的膜载体,探讨了MABR对模拟地表水的处理效果及其主要控制条件。采用序批式处理方式,重点考察了不同曝气强度（0.5、1和1.5 L·min-1）、不同压力（0.01、0.015和0.02 MPa）以及不同膜面积（0.3、0.5和0.6 m2）等受试条件下,MABR对TOC、总氮、氨氮、硝态氮、亚硝态氮等主要污染物的处理效果。结果表明：在受试范围内相同膜面积下压力越大,氨氮、总氮处理效果越好。不同压力对TOC的去除率影响不大,TOC去除率均在85%左右。压力对硝态氮含量影响效果显著,0.01 MPa下同时硝化反硝化作用最好。曝气强度为1 L·min-1 MABR处理效果优于0.5和1.5 L·min-1曝气强度,而膜面气流流速为6.7 cm·s-1时MABR处理效果最佳。     

Relationship between (210)Pb(ex) activity and sedimentary organic carbon in sediments of 3 Chinese lakes

This report demonstrates that organic matter was an important factor in lake sediment ²¹⁰Pb_ex dating. Sediment cores from lakes in central and western China with different-trophic levels were collected, and the ²¹⁰Pb_ex activity and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured. The Rock-Eval pyrolysis technique was used to deconvolute TOC into free hydrocarbons (S1), thermally less-stable macromolecular organic matter (S2a), kerogen (S2b), and residual carbon (RC). The results show significant correlations between TOC and ²¹⁰Pb_ex, particularly between S2a and ²¹⁰Pb_ex, in all the sediment cores. This indicated that the algal-derived organic component S2a may play the most important role in controlling the distribution of ²¹⁰Pb_ex. Scavenging by algal-derived organic matter may be the main mechanism. As chronology is the key to the understanding of pollution reconstruction and early diagenesis in sediments, more attention should be paid to the influence of organic matter on ²¹⁰Pb_ex.     

湿式过氧化氢氧化活性艳蓝KN-R

为了有效地处理印染废水,采用湿式过氧化氢氧化法(wet peroxide oxidation,简称WPO)降解活性艳蓝KN-R。通过筛选反应因子,获得了最佳反应条件。当初始浓度为200 mg/L时,在最优条件下,活性艳蓝KN-R的脱色率和TOC去除率分别为100%和68.54%。在120~150℃考察了该反应的动力学,结果表明,活性艳蓝KN-R的湿式过氧化氢氧化反应符合准一级动力学方程,并且通过计算得到了反应活化能为73.9 kJ/mol。利用气相色谱/质谱联用仪(GC-MS)鉴定活性艳蓝KN-R降解产物主要为几种小分子有机酸,如丁二酸、已二酸、邻苯二甲酸。通过添加自由基捕获剂(叔丁醇)研究了自由基反应机理,结果表明羟基自由基对活性艳蓝KN-R的降解起着主要作用。     

Efficient removal of insecticide “imidacloprid” from water by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes

The oxidative degradation of imidacloprid (ICP) has been carried out by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), anodic oxidation, and electro-Fenton, in which hydroxyl radicals are generated electrocatalytically. Carbon-felt cathode and platinum or boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes were used in electrolysis cell. To determine optimum operating conditions, the effects of applied current and catalyst concentration were investigated. The decay of ICP during the oxidative degradation was well fitted to pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics and absolute rate constant of the oxidation of ICP by hydroxyl radicals was found to be k _abs(ICP)?=?1.23?×?10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1. The results showed that both anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton process with BDD anode exhibited high mineralization efficiency reaching 91 and 94 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal at 2 h, respectively. For Pt-EF process, mineralization efficiency was also obtained as 71 %. The degradation products of ICP were identified and a plausible general oxidation mechanism was proposed. Some of the main reaction intermediates such as 6-chloronicotinic acid, 6-chloronicotinaldehyde, and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid were determined by GC-MS analysis. Before complete mineralization, formic, acetic, oxalic, and glyoxylic acids were identified as end-products. The initial chlorine and organic nitrogen present in ICP were found to be converted to inorganic anions Cl^?, NO₃ ^?, and NH₄ ⁺.     

Photochemical formation of hydroxyl radicals catalyzed by montmorillonite

In this work, the photooxidation of benzene and the formation of phenol in aqueous suspensions of the iron-rich montmorillonite under irradiation of a 250W metal halide lamp (lambda> or = 365nm) were investigated. We confirmed that hydroxyl radicals (()OH) were produced by illuminating montmorillonite and was responsible for the photooxidation of benzene in aqueous suspensions of montmorillonite. Low pH value facilitated the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the pH range of 2.0-10.0. The ()OH concentration increased with increasing the concentration of montmorillonite in aqueous solutions in the range of 0-20.0gl(-1). Higher concentration like 25.0gl(-1) montmorillonite inhibited the ()OH production. Iron, predominantly free iron in the clays, is believed to be one of the most important factors determining ()OH formation. Structural irons in montmorillonite have contributions to ()OH formation, especially in the presence of carboxylate ions. The formation of ()OH from montmorillonite under irradiation of near UV and visible light indicates that clays might play important role not only in transfer through adsorption but also in transformation through oxidation of organic compounds on the surface of clay particles in air, water, soil or even top sediments.