Issue 20, 2017

Oxidative remediation of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh). Evidence of contaminant repair reaction pathways

Abstract

A large spill of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh) into the Elk River near Charleston, West Virginia on January 9, 2014 led to serious water contamination and public concerns about appropriate remediation. To assess the feasibility of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for remediation of waters contaminated with these compounds, we induced hydroxyl radical (HO˙) reactions using time-resolved and steady-state radiolysis methods. Detailed product analyses showed initial HO˙ attack was at the benzene ring of PPh, and occurred through H-atom abstraction reactions for MCHM. Pulse radiolysis and steady state radiolysis experiments conducted using pure compound solutions, mixtures of the compounds and real water solvents allowed us to obtain mechanistic insights of hydroxyl radical attack and establish the fate of the compounds using AOP remediation technologies. These results demonstrate that hydroxyl radical induced oxidization of PPh can lead to “repair-type” reactions, which regenerates this contaminant. The study further highlights the importance of such counterproductive reactions for the quantitative estimate of the required amount of oxidant in any large-scale treatment approaches.

Graphical abstract: Oxidative remediation of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh). Evidence of contaminant repair reaction pathways

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Mar 2017
Accepted
29 Apr 2017
First published
05 May 2017

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017,19, 13324-13332

Oxidative remediation of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh). Evidence of contaminant repair reaction pathways

C. Zhao, J. R. Peller, S. P. Mezyk, P. V. Kamat and K. E. O’Shea, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 13324 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP01896G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements