The use of yellow phosphorus to destroy toxic organic compounds

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The use of yellow phosphorus to destroy toxic organic compounds Shih-Ger Chang

A new method for generating reactive species to destroy toxic organic chemicals has been developed. This method reacts yellow phosphorus with O_2, in moist air to produce species such as O,O_3, PO, and PO_2, which are capable of reacting with various types of organics. Toxic organic com-pounds are converted to small molecular wight organic acids, aldehydes, and/or alcohols, while yel-low phosphonis is oxidital into phosphoric acid, which may be recovered as a valuable byproduct.This technique has ben demonstrated to be effective for destroying many types of toxic organiccompounds. including PAH, aromatic chlorides, amines, alcohols, and acids, nitro-aromatics,heterocyclic hydrocarbons, PCB, aliphatic chlorides and sulfides, dyes, and pesticides.