Kinetic and analytical study of the photo-induced degradation of monuron by nitrates and nitrites under irradiation or in the dark.

The photo-induced transformation of monuron (3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1 dimethylurea) was investigated in an aqueous solution containing nitrates and nitrites at 310 nm and 365 nm, respectively. In both NO(3)(-) and NO(2)(-) conditions, the degradation of monuron followed pseudo-first order kinetics. The intermediate products were identified by GC-MS, and the nitration, hydroxylation and coupling reactions were determined. In addition, the oxidation of the N-terminus group, the substitution of chlorine by ˙OH and the nitration by ˙NO(2) radical onto the phenyl ring were observed. The photo-induced transformation of monuron was studied under variable conditions of pH, inducer concentration, substrate concentration, humic acids, oxygen content and salts used as hydroxyl radical scavengers. The photodegradation rates were strongly influenced by all the above parameters. The degradation of monuron was also studied in the dark and in the presence of NO(2)(-) as well as in an aqueous solution with the addition of hydrogen peroxide.

Sonochemical and sonocatalytic degradation of monolinuron in water.

The degradation of the phenylurea monolinuron (MLN) by ultrasound irradiation alone and in the presence of TiO(2) was investigated in aqueous solution. The experiments were carried out at low and high frequency (20 and 800 kHz) in complete darkness. The degradation of MLN by ultrasounds occurred mainly by a radical pathway, as shown the inhibitory effect of adding tert-butanol and bicarbonate ions to scavenge hydroxyl radicals. However, CO(3)(-) radicals were formed with bicarbonate and reacted in turn with MLN. In this study, the degradation rate of MLN and the rate constant of H(2)O(2) formation were used to evaluate the oxidative sonochemical efficiency. It was shown that ultrasound efficiency was improved in the presence of nanoparticles of TiO(2) and SiO(2) only at 20 kHz. These particles provide nucleation sites for cavitation bubbles at their surface, leading to an increase in the number of bubbles when the liquid is irradiated by ultrasound, thereby enhancing sonochemical reaction yield. In the case of TiO(2), sonochemical efficiency was found to be greater than with SiO(2) for the same mass introduced. In addition to the increase in the number of cavitation bubbles, activated species may be formed at the TiO(2) surface that promote the formation of H(2)O(2) and the decomposition of MLN.

Fe(III) promoted LAS (linear alkylbenzenesulfonate) removal from waters.

The mechanisms of the interactions between Fe(III) aquacomplexes and surfactants were investigated; three alkylbenzenzsulfonates, two surfactants (octylbenzenesulfonate (OBS) and dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS)), and a shorter derivative (ethylbenzenesulfonate (EBS)) were studied. The results with OBS show evidence for three different ways in which Fe(III) interferes with the surfactant: the widely described flocculation process, complexation of Fe(OH)2+ (aquacomplexes) by the surfactant, and a redox reaction. The formation of a weak complex is maximum for a ratio of three between the monomeric aquacomplex [FeOH(H2O)5]2+ and OBS. In the presence of oxygen, an intramolecular redox reaction occurs inside the complex. The interaction between commercial DBS and Fe(III) was also investigated. Immediate precipitation occurred, mainly involving derivatives of higher molecular weights that are contained in the DBS samples. The constituents with the shortest alkyl chain were not affected by the presence of Fe(III) as it was also observed with EBS.

Comparison of Diuron degradation by direct UV photolysis and advanced oxidation processes.

The rates of Diuron elimination by some advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as Fe(III)/UV, Ferrioxalate/UV, Fe(III)/H(2)O(2)/UV, Ferrioxalate/UV/H(2)O(2) and Fe(III)/H(2)O(2) have been compared. Experiments have been conducted at pH=2.3+/-0.1 with a batch reactor equipped with a low-pressure mercury lamp emitting mainly at 253.7 nm. Data obtained under the following experimental conditions ([H(2)O(2)](0)=10(-3)M, [Diuron](0)=5 x 10(-5)M and [Fe(III)](0)=10(-3)M) have shown that rates of Diuron oxidation were higher with the systems Fe(III)/H(2)O(2)/UV and Ferrioxalate/UV/H(2)O(2) than with Fe(III)/UV and Fe(III)/H(2)O(2). On the other hand, Fe(III)/UV was found to be very efficient in mineralization of Diuron solution in comparison to direct UV photolysis. The experimental results showed that radical ()OH is the major pathway in the process of Diuron degradation.