The dose rate effect with radiation processing of water - an interpretative approach

Hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide and oxygen as well were added before irradiation to tap water contaminated with trace amounts of perchloroethylene (PCE) to study their impact to the existing dose rate effect recorded with radiation-induced PCE decomposition. Hydrogen peroxide and oxygen addition as well had almost no effect at all to PCE decomposition; addition of nitrous oxide resulted in some improvement but one order of magnitude less than adequate ozone addition brought about. At present there is no alternative for ozone to eliminate the disadvantage caused by the dose rate effect. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.