Effect of some parameters on the rate of the catalysed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by iron(III)-nitrilotriacetate in water.

The decomposition rate of H(2)O(2) by iron(III)-nitrilotriacetate complexes (Fe(III)NTA) has been investigated over a large range of experimental conditions: 3 < pH < 11, [Fe(III)](T,0): 0.05-1 mM; [NTA](T,0)/[Fe(III)](T,0) molar ratios : 1-250; [H(2)O(2)](0): 1 mM-4 M) and concentrations of HO· radical scavengers: 0-53 mM. Spectrophotometric analyses revealed that reactions of H(2)O(2) with Fe(III)NTA (1 mM) at neutral pH immediately lead to the formation of intermediates (presumably peroxocomplexes of Fe(III)NTA) which absorb light in the region 350-600 nm where Fe(III)NTA and H(2)O(2) do not absorb. Kinetic experiments showed that the decomposition rates of H(2)O(2) were first-order with respect to H(2)O(2) and that the apparent first-order rate constants were found to be proportional to the total concentration of Fe(III)NTA complexes, were at a maximum at pH 7.95 ± 0.10 and depend on the [NTA](T,0)/[Fe(III)](T,0) and [H(2)O(2)](0)/[Fe(III)](T,0) molar ratios. The addition of increasing concentrations of tert-butanol or sodium bicarbonate significantly decreased the decomposition rate of H(2)O(2), suggesting the involvement of HO· radicals in the decomposition of H(2)O(2). The decomposition of H(2)O(2) by Fe(III)NTA at neutral pH was accompanied by a production of dioxygen and by the oxidation of NTA. The degradation of the organic ligand during the course of the reaction led to a progressive decomplexation of Fe(III)NTA followed by a subsequent precipitation of iron(III) oxyhydroxides and by a significant decrease in the catalytic activity of Fe(III) species for the decomposition of H(2)O(2).

Hydroxyl radical involvement in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by ferrous and ferric-nitrilotriacetate complexes at neutral pH.

The relative rates of degradation of three hydroxyl radical probe compounds (atrazine, fenuron and parachlorobenzoic acid (pCBA)) by Fe(III)/H(2)O(2) (pH = 2.85), Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) (neutral pH), Fe(II)/O(2), Fe(II)NTA/O(2), Fe(II)/H(2)O(2) and Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) (neutral pH) have been investigated using the competitive kinetic method. Experiments were carried out in batch and in semi-batch reactors, in the dark, at 25 °C. The data showed that the three probe compounds could be degraded by all the systems studied, and in particular by Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) and Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) at neutral pH. The relative rate constants of degradation of the three probe compounds obtained for all the systems tested were identical and equal to 1.45 ± 0.03 and 0.47 ± 0.02 for k(Atrazine)/k(pCBA) and k(Fenuron)/k(pCBA), respectively. These values as well as the decrease of the rates of degradation of the probe compounds upon the addition of hydroxyl radical scavengers (tert-butanol, bicarbonate ions) suggest that the degradation of atrazine, fenuron and pCBA by Fe(II)NTA/O(2), Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) and Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) is initiated by hydroxyl radicals.

Concentration levels of urea in swimming pool water and reactivity of chlorine with urea.

This study investigated the reactivity of chlorine with urea which is the main nitrogen contaminant introduced into swimming pool water by bathers. In the first part of this study, analyses showed that the mean concentrations of urea and TOC determined from 50 samples of municipal swimming pool were equal to 18.0 µM (s.d. 11.7) and 3.5 mg C L(-1) (s.d. 1.6), respectively. The mean value for the urea contribution to the TOC content was 6.3% (s.d. 3.3). The rate of decomposition of urea in swimming pool water measured during the closure time of the facility was very slow (decay at the rate of ≈ 1% per hour in the presence of 1.6-1.8 mg L(-1) of free chlorine). In the second part of this work, experiments carried out with phosphate buffered solutions of urea ([Urea](0) = 1 mM; [Cl(2)](0)/[Urea](0): 0.5-15 mol/mol; pH 7.4 ± 0.2; reaction time: 0-200 h) showed that long term chlorine demand of urea was about 5 mol Cl(2)/mol of urea. Chlorination led to a complete mineralization of organic carbon into CO(2) for a chlorine dose of 3.5 mol/mol and to the formation of 0.7-0.8 mol NO(3)(-)/mol of urea for chlorine dose of 8-10 mol/mol. Experiments conducted with dilute solutions of urea ([Urea](0) = 50 µM; pH ≈ 7.3) confirmed that the degradation rate of urea by chlorine is very slow under conditions simulating real swimming pool water.

Effect of some parameters on the formation of chloroform during chloramination of aqueous solutions of resorcinol.

The effects of various factors (N/Cl ratio used to prepare monochloramine, monochloramine doses, pH and contact time) on the monochloramine demand and on the chloroform yield during chloramination of resorcinol have been investigated. Chloramination experiments were carried out at 24+/-1 degrees C, at pH values ranging from 6.5 to 12 using a bicarbonate/carbonate buffer and preformed monochloramine solutions prepared at pH 8.5 with N/Cl ratios ([NH(4)Cl](0)/[Total free Cl(2)](0) ranging from 1.0 to 150 mol/mol). Kinetic experiments ([Resorcinol](0)=5 or 100 microM, [NH(2)Cl](0)/[Resorcinol](0)=20 mol/mol, pH=8.5+/-0.1) showed a slow increase of the monochloramine consumption with reaction time. The monochloramine demands after reaction times of 7 days ([Resorcinol](0)=100 microM) and 14 days ([Resorcinol](0)=5 microM) were equal to 8.5 mol of NH(2)Cl/mole of resorcinol and were higher than the chlorine demands (approximately 7.3 mol/mol). Chloroform yields from monochloramination of resorcinol were lower than 8% (<80 mmol of CHCl(3)/mole of resorcinol) and were less than the yields obtained by chlorination (0.9-0.95 mol/mol). Chloroform productions increased with increasing monochloramine dose and reaction time and decreased with increasing pH values within the pH range 6.5-10. Chloroform formation markedly decreased when the N/Cl ratio increased from 1 to 1.5 mol/mol and was suppressed at N/Cl>100 mol/mol. The data obtained in the present work suggest that free chlorine released from monochloramine hydrolysis plays a significant role on the formation of chloroform during chloramination of resorcinol at N/Cl ratios close to unity (1.0

Effect of dissolved oxygen on the photodecomposition of monochloramine and dichloramine in aqueous solution by UV irradiation at 253.7 nm.

The effect of dissolved oxygen on the photodecomposition of monochloramine (7.5 < pH < 10) and dichloramine (pH = 3.7 +/- 0.2) at 253.7 nm has been investigated. The kinetic study shows that the rate of photodecomposition of monochloramine is about two times faster in the absence of oxygen than in the presence of oxygen, is not significantly affected by pH and by the presence of hydroxyl radical scavengers (hydrogenocarbonate ion and tert-butanol). The apparent quantum yields of photodecomposition of monochloramine at 253.7 nm ([NH(2)Cl](0) approximately 1.5-2 mM, epsilon(253.7 nm) = 371 M(-1) cm(-1)) were equal to 0.28 +/- 0.03 and 0.54 +/- 0.03 mol E(-1) in oxygenated-saturated and in oxygen-free solutions, respectively. The photodecomposition rates or the apparent quantum yields of photodecomposition of dichloramine ([NHCl(2)](0) approximately 1.5-2 mM, pH = 3.7 +/- 0.2) in oxygen-free and in oxygen-saturated solutions were quite identical (Phi = 0.82 +/- 0.08 mol E(-1); epsilon(253.7 nm) = 126 M(-1) cm(-1)). Under O(2) saturation, UV irradiation of NH(2)Cl leads to the formation of nitrite ( approximately 0.37 mol/mol of NH(2)Cl decomposed), nitrate ( approximately 0.073 mol/mol) and does not form ammonia (<0.01 mol/mol). In oxygen-free solutions, monochloramine decomposes to form ammonia ( approximately 0.37 mol/mol). Photodecomposition of dichloramine did not lead to significant amounts of nitrite and nitrate in the presence and in the absence of oxygen. The nitrogen mass balances also indicate the formation of other nitrogen species (probably N(2) and/or N(2)O) during the photodecomposition of monochloramine and dichloramine by UV irradiation at 253.7 nm.

Monochloramination of resorcinol: mechanism and kinetic modeling.

The kinetics of monochloramination of resorcinol, 4-chlororesorcinol, and 4,6-dichlororesorcinol have been investigated over the pH range of 5-12, at 23 +/- 2 degrees C. Monochloramine solutions were prepared with ammonia-to-chlorine ratios (N/Cl) ranging from 1.08 to 31 mol/mol. Under conditions that minimize free chlorine reactions (N/Cl > 2 mol/mol), the apparent second-order rate constants of monochloramination of resorcinol compounds show a maximum at pH values between 8.6 and 10.2. The intrinsic second-order rate constants for the reaction of monochloramine with the acid-base forms of the dihydroxybenzenes (Ar(OH)(2), Ar(OH)O(-), and Ar(O(-))(2)) were calculated from the apparent second-order rate constants. The stoichiometric coefficients for the formation of 4-chlororesorcinol by monochloramination of resorcinol and 4,6-dichlororesorcinol by monochloramination of 4-chlororesorcinol were found to be equal to 0.66 +/- 0.05 and 0.25 +/- 0.02 mol/mol, respectively at pH 8.6. A kinetic model that incorporates reactions of free chlorine and monochloramine with the different acid-base forms of resorcinol compounds simulated well the initial rates of degradation of resorcinol compounds and was useful to evaluate the contribution of free chlorine reactions to the overall rates of degradation of resorcinol at low N/Cl ratios.

Henry's law constant of N,N-dichloromethylamine: application to the contamination of the atmosphere of indoor swimming pools.

The volatility of N,N-dichloromethylamine (DCMA), a disinfection by-product formed during chlorination of swimming pool water, has been investigated in the present work. The Henry's law constants for DCMA were experimentally determined at five temperatures (5, 15, 25, 35 and 45 degrees C) using the single equilibrium technique. The volumic ratio between the gas and the water phases in the headspace vessels ranged from 1 to 60 and the initial concentration of DCMA in the aqueous solutions was approximately 2mM. The values obtained for the dimensionless Henry's law constant varied from 0.047 at 5 degrees C to 0.312 at 45 degrees C. The temperature dependence of the Henry's law constants followed the van't Hoff equation. Trace levels of DCMA (16-70 microg m(-3)) were detected in the atmosphere of an indoor swimming pool whereas the concentrations of DCMA in water pools were in the range 8.8-15 microg L(-1).

Photodegradation of the steroid hormones 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in dilute aqueous solution.

The photochemical transformation of natural estrogenic steroid 17beta-estradiol (E2) and the synthetic oral contraceptive 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) has been studied in dilute non buffered aqueous solution (pH 5.5-6.0) upon monochromatic (254 nm) and polychromatic (lambda>290 nm) irradiation. Upon irradiation at 254 nm, the quantum yields of E2 and EE2 photolysis were similar and evaluated to be 0.067+/-0.007 and 0.062+/-0.007, respectively. Upon polychromatic excitation, and by using phenol as chemical actinometer, the photolysis efficiencies have been determined to be 0.07+/-0.01 and 0.08+/-0.01 for E2 and EE2, respectively. For both estrogens, photodegradation by-products were identified with GC/MS and LC/MS. In a first step, a model compound--5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (THN)--, which represents the photoactive phenolic group, was used to obtain basic photoproduct structural informations. Numerous primary and secondary products were observed, corresponding to hydroxylated phenolic- or quinone-type compounds.

A comparison of fenuron degradation by hydroxyl and carbonate radicals in aqueous solution.

A comparative study of the transformation of the herbicide fenuron (1,1-dimethyl-3-phenylurea) by hydroxyl radicals and carbonate radicals in aqueous solution (pH 7.2-phosphate buffer) has been undertaken. Hydroxyl radical was generated by the well-known photolysis of hydrogen peroxide at 254 nm and carbonate radical was formed by photolysis of Co(NH(3))(5)CO(3)(+) at 254 nm. Competitive kinetic experiments were performed with atrazine used as the main competitor for both processes. Accordingly, the second-order rate constant of reaction between fenuron and carbonate radical was found to be (7-12+/-3)x10(6)M(-1)s(-1) [(7+/-1)x10(9)M(-1)s(-1) for hydroxyl radical]. The formation of degradation products was studied by LC-MS in the two cases and a comparison has been performed. The reaction with carbonate radical leads to the formation of a quinone-imine derivative which appears as the major primary product together with ortho and para hydroxylated compounds. These two compounds represent the major products in the reaction with hydroxyl radicals. The reaction of both radicals also leads to the transformation of the dimethylurea moiety.

Kinetics and modeling of the Fe(III)/H2O2 system in the presence of sulfate in acidic aqueous solutions.

This work examined the effect of sulfate ions on the rate of decomposition of H2O2 by Fe(III) in homogeneous aqueous solutions. Experiments were carried out at 25 degrees C, pH < or = 3 and the concentrations of sulfate ranged from 0 to 200 mM ([Fe(III)]0 = 0.2 or 1 mM, [H2O2]0 = 10 or 50 mM). The spectrophometric study shows that addition of sulfate decreased the formation of iron(III)-peroxo complexes and that H2O2 does not form complexes with iron(III)-sulfato complexes. The rates of decomposition of H2O2 markedly decreased in the presence of sulfate. The measured rates were accurately predicted by a kinetic model based on reactions previously validated in NaClO4/HClO4 solutions and on additional reactions involving sulfate ions and sulfate radicals. At a fixed pH, the pseudo-first-order rate constants were found to decrease linearly with the molar fraction of Fe(II) complexed with sulfate. The model was also able to predict the rate of oxidation of a probe compound (atrazine) by Fe(III)/H2O2. Computer simulations indicate that the decrease of the rate of oxidation of organic solutes by Fe(III)/H2O2 can be mainly attributed to the complexation of Fe(III) by sulfate ions, while sulfate radicals play a minor role on the overall reaction rates.

Effects of chloride and sulfate on the rate of oxidation of ferrous ion by H2O2.

The rates of oxidation of Fe(II) by H(2)O(2) in the presence of sodium perchlorate, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate salts (0-1M) have been compared in the study. Experiments were carried out in a batch reactor, in the dark, at pH <3, 25+/-0.5 degrees C and at controlled ionic strength (< or =1M). The experimental results showed that the rates of oxidation of Fe(II) in the presence of chloride, nitrate and perchlorate were identical. In the presence of sulfate, the rate of oxidation of Fe(II) was faster and depended on the pH and the concentration of sulfate. The pseudo second-order rate constants for the reaction of H(2)O(2) with Fe(2+), FeCl(+) and FeSO(4) were determined as 55+/-1, 55+/-1 and 78+/-3 M(-1) s(-1), respectively.

A comparative study of the effects of chloride, sulfate and nitrate ions on the rates of decomposition of H2O2 and organic compounds by Fe(II)/H2O2 and Fe(III)/H2O2.

The effects of chloride, nitrate, perchlorate and sulfate ions on the rates of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and the oxidation of organic compounds by the Fenton's process have been investigated. Experiments were conducted in a batch reactor, in the dark at pH < or = 3.0 and at 25 degrees C. Data obtained from Fe(II)/H2O2 experiments with [Fe(II)]0/[H2O2]0 > or = 2 mol mol(-1), showed that the rates of reaction between Fe(II) and H2O2 followed the order SO4(2-) > ClO4(-) = NO3- = Cl-. For the Fe(III)/H2O2 process, identical rates were obtained in the presence of nitrate and perchlorate, whereas the presence of sulfate or chloride markedly decreased the rates of decomposition of H2O2 by Fe(III) and the rates of oxidation of atrazine ([atrazine]0 = 0.83 microM), 4-nitrophenol ([4-NP]0 = 1 mM) and acetic acid ([acetic acid]0 = 2 mM). These inhibitory effects have been attributed to a decrease of the rate of generation of hydroxyl radicals resulting from the formation of Fe(III) complexes and the formation of less reactive (SO4(*-)) or much less reactive (Cl2(*-)) inorganic radicals.

Charge transfer of iron(III) monomeric and oligomeric aqua hydroxo complexes: semiempirical investigation into photoactivity.

Aqueous hydrolyses of iron(III) solutions were studied using electronic spectroscopy. Complete spectra from 200 to 800 nm were obtained for the four ferric aqua hydroxo complexes: Fe(H(2)O)(6)(3+), Fe(OH)(H(2)O)(5)(2+), Fe(OH)(2)(H(2)O)(4)(+), and the dimer Fe(2)(mu-Omicron Eta)(2)(H(2)O)(8)(4+). Semiempirical Zindo/s calculations were employed to assign which types of electronic transfers are involved so that the photoactivity as regards the photoreduction dissociation Fe(III)(aq) Fe(II)(aq) + OH* can be discussed. Fe(3+) exhibits two LMCT from non-bonding p orbitals (nLp) located at 190 and 240 nm. Fe(OH)(2+) shows two major nLp(OH) --> d transitions at 205 and 295 nm. As regards its geometry, computed investigations using an Fe-OH distance of 2.05 A better fit than using a shorter distance ( approximately 1.8 A); the same conclusion remains constant for all hydroxo complexes. The dihydroxo form's spectrum was confronted to its common cis and trans expectable isomers plus an unusual pentacoordinate one. Even if the trans isomer is supposed to be the lowest Gibbs free energy species in solution, there is some evidence of the presence of the cis form; hence, both species must be close in energy. Other isolated nLp(OH) --> d transfer wavelengths are 235, 245, and 335 nm. As for the dimer, this study provides some clue in favor of the bis(mu-hydroxo)) description. Both water and hydroxo ligands are involved along the electronic transitions toward only d(1) metal-centered orbitals at 220 and 260 nm for H(2)O, 335 and 470 nm for OH(-), and 205 nm for both. Charge transfers for the hydrogen oxide bridge form Fe(2)(mu-Eta(3)Omicron(2))(H(2)O)(8)(5+) were also computed. Finally predictions about the two bis(mu-hydroxo) bridge trimer Fe(3)(OH)(4)(H(2)O)(10)(5+) enable one to foresee a huge and broad charge transfer in the UV region (approximately 240 nm) followed by a multi nLp(OH) --> d(1) transfer extending up to approximately 650 nm.