Sulfate radical-based degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls: effects of chloride ion and reaction kinetics
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Guo-Dong Fang1, Dionysios D Dionysiou, Yu Wang
1Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
Abstract:
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on sulfate radical (SO(4)(·-)) have been recently used for soil and groundwater remediation. The presence of chloride ion in natural or wastewater decreases the reactivity of sulfate radical system, but explanations for this behavior were inconsistent, and the mechanisms are poorly understood. Therefore, in this paper we investigated the effect of chloride ion on the degradation of 2,4,4'-CB (PCB28) and biphenyl (BP) by persulfate, based on the produced SO(4)(·-). The results showed that the presence of chloride ion greatly inhibited the transformation of PCB28 and BP. Transformation intermediates of BP were monitored, suggesting that the chloride ion can react with SO(4)(·-) to produce chlorine radical, which reacts with BP to generate chlorinated compounds. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of these processes, a kinetic model was developed for predicting the effect of chloride ion on the types of radical species and their distributions. The results showed that chloride ion could influence the selectivity of radical species and their distribution, and increase the concentration of the sum of radical species. In addition, the second-order rate constants of sulfate radical with PCBs were determined, and quantum-chemical descriptors were introduced to predict the rate constants of other PCBs based on our experimental data.
Related Concept Videos
SN2 Reaction: Kinetics
In a chemical reaction, a relationship exists between the concentration of reactants and the rate at which the reaction proceeds. The study to measure this relationship is known as the kinetics of a chemical reaction. Kinetic studies are used to deduce the rate law of a chemical reaction, which provides information about the species involved during the transition state of the rate-determining step. Thus, kinetic studies help to derive the mechanism of a reaction.
Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides
Radical Substitution: Allylic Chlorination
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene
Radical Substitution: Hydrogenolysis of Alkyl Halides with Tributyltin Hydride
The bonds formed in this reaction are stronger than the bonds broken, making it energetically favorable. The reaction follows a radical chain mechanism similar to radical halogenation reactions,...
Carboxylic Acids to Acid Chlorides
