ABSTRACT
The degradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): benzo[a]pyrene (BAP), chrysene (CHR), and fluorene (FLU) in aqueous solution using ozone was investigated. The influence of pH of the reaction mixture, ozone concentration, and the presence of a radical scavenger on the reaction rate was determined. The highest rate of PAHs disappearance was achieved in acidic solutions. The radical scavenger, tert-butanol, effectively inhibited the rate of PAHs destruction. The rate constants of direct reaction of PAHs with ozone were calculated and they were equal to (3.32 ± 0.21) × 104; (1.10 ± 0.15) × 104 and 44.8 ± 1.1 M−1s−1 for BAP, CHR, and FLU, respectively. The contributions of direct ozonolysis, and radical reaction to PAHs oxidation in ozonation processes, were evaluated.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the State Committee for Scientific Research (Poland) for financial support through Grant no. 3T09C02412.