Modeling the kinetics of UV/hydrogen peroxide oxidation of some mono-, di-, and trichlorophenols.

The decomposition of a number of chlorophenols (CPs), namely 2-CP, 2, 4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, has been studied in aqueous solution by UV-catalyzed oxidation with H(2)O(2) under UV radiation emitted by a 125-W medium pressure Hg lamp in an immersion well-type quartz photoreactor, and the organic-bound chlorine has been converted into the environmentally harmless inorganic chloride. For oxidant/CP mole ratios between 1:1 and 16:1, the reaction kinetics were modeled and the corresponding rate constants found by periodically measuring the remaining CP, hydrogen peroxide and converted chloride in solution. A theoretical model for the degradation pathway is proposed expressing the rate as a linear function of the concentrations of CP and oxidant. The rate constants for the pseudo-first order approximation of the CP degradation were compared. H(2)O(2), when combined with UV, is an effective photoactivated oxidant. The photodegradation order in terms of the initial rate of CPs destruction was: Cl(3).Ph>/=Cl(2).Ph>Cl.Ph.

A combined spectrophotometric-AAS method for the analysis of trace metal, EDTA, and metal-EDTA mixture solutions in adsorption modeling experiments.

The adsorption of free- and bound-metal ions (metal complexes) as well as of ligands onto various hydrous oxide type sorbents have been extensively modelled using EDTA as the model ligand. This type of modelling uses metal ion-EDTA mixture solutions containing stoichiometrically equivalent or excessive amounts of either constituent. Consequently, for mixture solutions equilibrated with the sorbent, the aim was to develop a suitable method for determining either metal complex+free ligand (MY(2-)+H(2)Y(2-)) or metal complex+free metal (MY(2-)+M(2+)) in the aqueous filtrate, the metal M being lead or cadmium. The conventional method of analyzing such filtrates is exchanging different metal-EDTA complexes with Fe(NO(3))(3) followed by HPLC using UV detection. The developed method utilizes Vis- and AA-spectrometry widespread in common laboratories, eliminating the need for HPLC and UV techniques that require higher operational cost, expertise and contaminant-free media. The developed procedure is based on the following analyses for the possible constituents of equilibrated solution (with the sorbent). All EDTA (free or bound, as H(2)Y(2-) or MY(2-)) species are converted into FeY(-) by adding Fe(NO(3))(3), and heating at 80 degrees C for 1 h. All metal (free or bound, as M(2+) or MY(2-)) species are determined by AAS. All unbound (free) Fe(3+) species are determined by the thiocyanate spectrophotometric method at 480 nm. Then 'EDTA-bound iron (III)' is defined as added Fe minus colorimetrically (thiocyanate method) found Fe, and 'AAS-found metal' (lead or cadmium) corresponds to M(2+) and/or MY(2-), depending on the analyzed solution. If EDTA-bound Fe(III) is greater than AAS-found metal, then one has a (MY(2-)+H(2)Y(2-)) mixture where AAS-found metal is (MY(2-)), and free EDTA, i.e. (H(2)Y(2-)), is calculated from the difference. If EDTA-bound Fe(III) is smaller than AAS-found metal, then one has a (M(2+)+ MY(2-)) mixture where EDTA-bound Fe(III) is (MY(2-)), and the free metal, i.e. (M(2+)), is calculated from the difference. If the two compared quantities are equal, then one has a pure MY(2-) solution. Since surface complexes on the hydrous oxide sorbent ( approximately SOH) as bound metal ( approximately SOM), bound ligand ( approximately SOL) or bound metal complex ( approximately SOML) are much more difficult to desorb and analyze, the simple procedure developed here applicable to more conventional instruments carried out in sorbent equilibrated solutions (filtrates) may effectively aid heavy metal adsorption modelling in realistic environmental simulations.

Photocatalytic decomposition of 4-chlorophenol over oxide catalysts.

4-Chlorophenol in the presence of catalysts was decomposed in aqueous solution by a 125 W medium pressure mercury lamp in a thermostated quartz batch photoreactor, and the organic bound chlorine was catalytically converted into the environmentally less harmful inorganic chloride. Differences in the concentration of 4-chlorophenol and of the intermediates, such as hydroquinone and quinone, are followed by HPLC. The best catalyst among a homolog series for the photo-decomposition of 4-chlorophenol was selected as finely dispersed platinum oxide on a TiO2 semiconductor support, and kinetic parameters of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood type decomposition reaction were reported for the selected catalyst. A simple mechanism of substrate degradation in accord with the chosen kinetic model was postulated. The developed process may serve photooxidative removal of chlorophenols in wastewater without using costly oxidants.