Electron-beam treatment of aromatic hydrocarbons that can be air-stripped from contaminated groundwater. 1. Model studies in aqueous solution.

As a model for the electron-beam degradation of volatile aromatics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, BTEX) in groundwater strip gas, to be reported in Part 2, the gamma-radiolysis of benzene has been studied in aqueous solutions. Addition of *OH to the aromatic ring gives rise to hydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals which either dimerize or disproportionate. The various dimers undergo acid-catalyzed water elimination yielding biphenyl. Phenol is formed upon disproportionation directly, but also via dihydroxycyclohexadiene which subsequently undergoes acid-catalyzed water elimination. Co-radiolysis of benzene with nitrite generates *NO2 in addition to the hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical. These not only interact with one another (product: nitrobenzene via nitro-hydroxycyclohexadienes) but the *NO2 radical is also capable of abstracting cyclohexadienylic hydrogens. This reaction leads to the formation of 2- and 4-nitrophenol and to further nitrated products that were not identified. These are suggested to be formed in an analogous reaction of *NO2 with the hydroxycylohexadienyl dimers. The effect of O2 on these reactions and the relevance for the gas-phase radiolysis of BTEX is discussed