The catalytic hydro-dechlorination of 2, 4, 4’ trichlorobiphenyl at mild temperatures and atmospheric pressure

ABSTRACT

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including all 209 congeners, are designated as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) due to their high toxicity and bioaccumulation in human bodies and the ecosystem. The need for PCB remediation still remains long after their production ban. In this study, a catalytic hydro-dechlorination (HDC) method was employed to dechlorinate 2,4,4’-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB 28), a congener found ubiquitously in multiple environmental media. The HDC of PCB 28 was experimentally studied at mild temperatures viz. ~20, 50, and ~77°C and atmospheric pressure. Et₃N (triethylamine) was added as a co-catalyst. The dechlorination rates increased with temperature as well as Et₃N dosage, and the HDC pathway was hypothesized based on the product and intermediates observed. The less chlorinated intermediates suggested that the position of the chlorine strongly impacted HDC rates, and the preference of HDC at para positions can be orders of magnitudes higher than the ortho. The activation energy was estimated in the range of 12.4–13.9 kJ/mole, indicating a diffusion-controlled HDC system.

Implications: The remediation need for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) still remains long after their production ban around the world. The development of low-cost methods is highly desirable, especially for developing countries, in response to the Stockholm Convention. In this study, the dechorination of a ubiquitously present PCB congener was studied using a catalytic hydro-dechlorination (HDC) method in low temperatures up to ~77°C and was able to achieve near 100% dechlorination in 6 hr. Results indicated that the HDC process can be performed under mild temperatures and atmospheric conditions and can be a potential solution to real world PCB contamination issues.

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA P3 Phase 2 SV839354) and Center for Environmental Genetics (NIEHS P30ES006096). The authors would like to thank Dr. Mark Wang for his assistance in the instrumental analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, ML, upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2024.2353643.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [SV 839354].

Notes on contributors

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson is a Master of Engineering student in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati.

Juan Xu

Juan Xu is a Master’s student in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati.

Alyssa Yerkeson

Alyssa Yerkeson is a Master’s student in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati.

Mingming Lu

Mingming Lu is a full Professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati.