Gas Phase Thermal Oxidation of Endosulfan and Formation of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans

This paper investigates the thermal decomposition of technical endosulfan under oxidative conditions and the subsequent formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F, dioxins), and their precursors. Both quantum chemical calculations and laboratory experiments were employed to investigate the pathways of oxidation of endosulfan. The laboratory scale apparatus used consists of a tubular reactor and product collection system and analysis train. The results report the effect of temperature (523-923 K) and O-2 concentration on PCDD/F formation in a N-2 bath gas at a residence time of 5 s. The decomposition of endosulfan produces two types of PCDD/F precursors, involving all chlorinated benzenes (CBz) and chlorinated phenols (CPh). Oxidation of endosulfan favors the formation of PCDF over PCDD. Octachlorodibenzofuran is the most abundant homologue group detected in all experiments. The maximum emission factor for PCDD/F was observed at 923 K and O-2 content of 6% and corresponds to 64 ng TEQWHO2005 per mg of endosulfan and a total dioxin concentration of 1131 ng/mg of endosulfan.