[Reductive degradation of chlorophenols in aqueous solution by gamma irradiation]

Because chlorine is an electron withdrawing group, the highly chlorinated phenols may react quickly with hydrated electrons rather than with hydroxyl radicals. The process of reactions of four chlorophenols (4-CP, 2-CP, 2,4-DCP, 2,4,6-TCP) with e(aq)(-) was investigated in aqueous solutions by detecting the concentration of CPs, Cl- and intermediates. In the e(aq)(-) reductive system, the experimental results showed that the order of four kinds of chlorophenol degradation and dechlorination was 2,4,6-TCP > 2,4-DCP > 2-CP > 4-CP. The greater the chlorine content was the higher reactivity of hydrated electrons towards chlorophenols was. Furthermore, hydrated electrons may preferentially attack the ortho-position of chlorine atom rather than the para-position of chlorine atom. Phenol and Cl- were detected as the final product of the reductive reaction. Additionally, processes of degradation and dechlorination of CPs were observed as the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reaction constant of degradation of 4-CP, 2-CP, 2,4-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP were 0.154, 0.253, 0.750 and 1.188 kGy(-1), respectively. Meanwhile, the dechlorination of 4-CP, 2-CP, 2,4-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP were 0.137, 0.219, 0.251 and 0.306 kGy(-1), respectively.