Potential Degradation of Toxaphene by Iron Dechlorination

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

0207061 Clark The objective of the research is to investigate the feasibility of new methods to degrade or destroy persistent chlorinated contaminants. This exploratory research will focus on the toxaphene, a pesticide banned in 1990, which is toxic and very difficult to degrade. Toxaphene is a complex mixture of more than 200 polychlorinated terpenes. This research will examine the dechlorination of toxaphene by zero-valent iron and other bimetallic substrates as a means to initiate its degradation. Experiments are proposed to determine the degradation rates of toxaphene by iron substrates, potential pathways of toxaphene dechlorination, and the potential rate limiting factors for this process. These preliminary results would be used to seek variations in experimental procedures and optimization of the dechlorination experiments. ***