An ecologically effective water treatment technique using electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals for in situ destruction of organic pollutants:: Application to herbicide 2,4-D

The electrochemical production of Fenton's reagent by simultaneous reduction of dioxygen and ferric ions on a carbon felt electrode, permits a controlled, in situ generation of hydroxyl (OH.) radicals. The possibility of using electrochemically produced OH. radicals for solving environmental problems is investigated. Continuous and controlled production of hydroxyl radicals was achieved by electrochemical reduction of O-2 in the presence of a catalytic amount of ferric or ferrous ion. These radicals are used for remediation of water containing toxic-persistent-bioaccumulative organic pollutants through their transformation into biodegradable compounds or through their mineralization into H2O and CO2. A widely used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), was selected as a model for a toxic organic pollutant. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the distribution of the hydroxylated products obtained. Rate constants for the hydroxylation reactions of 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4-dichlororesorcinol (2,4-DCR) and 4,6-dichlororesorcinol (4,6-DCR) were determined. The mineralization of 2,4-D and its derivatives was followed by total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. More than 95% of 2,4-D and the intermediates generated during the electrolysis can be mineralized.