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Degradation of Perchloroethylene by Fenton's Reagent: Speciation and Pathway
Author(s) -
Leung Solomon W.,
Watts Richard J.,
Miller Glenn C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1992.00472425002100030012x
Subject(s) - chemistry , reagent , fenton's reagent , formic acid , mineralization (soil science) , decomposition , chloride , decarboxylation , environmental chemistry , reaction rate constant , dichloroacetic acid , chemical decomposition , kinetics , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , fenton reaction , physics , quantum mechanics , nitrogen
Silica sand contaminated with perchloroethylene (PCE) was effectively treated by Fenton's reagent. Silica sand contaminated with PCE at 1000 mg/kg was totally mineralized in 3 h by Fenton's reagent with initial concentration of about 2.1 M of H 2 O 2 and 5 m M of FeSO 4 . Results from gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS) revealed that dichloroacetic acid was the sole significant intermediate species generated, and was believed to be the limiting species leading to mineralization. Experimental measurements of chloride and total organic C suggested that total dechlorination was achieved before decarboxylation in the process of mineralization. A degradation pathway of PCE with Fenton's reagent is proposed based on experimental observations and reactions reported in literature. Formic acid is proposed to be the final intermediate species before it is mineralized to CO 2 . Perchloroethylene and H 2 O 2 followed pseudo first‐order decomposition kinetics and the rate constants were determined to be 1.65/h ± 0.475/h and 0.206/h ± 0.036/h, respectively.