Dechlorination of chlorinated organic compounds by zero-valent and bimetallic mixture

Organochlorine (OC) compounds that include several pesticides as well as an array of industrial chemicals were very efficacious for their intended use but were also characterized by deleterious environmental impacts when released either intentionally or inadvertently. Their lipophilic nature, long persistence in the environment and threat to human health caused all the developed countries to ban the production of these chemicals as well as restricted the use of formulations containing these material for food production.A number of scientists have become involved in the development of intentional degradation methods/techniques for these compounds using zero-valent metals or bimetallic mixtures. To date, there is no single, simple and continuous procedure available to completely dechlorinate lindane or pentachlorophenol (PCP). This work describes the complete dechlorination of lindane and pentachlorophenol by zero-valent Zn, Fe and Fe/Ag bimetallic mixture as well as a supercritical fluid extraction technique for a more efficient mass transfer of the substrates to the surfaces of the metal catalyst. The dechlorination reaction occurs on the surface of metal particles with the removal of all the chlorine atoms from lindane and PCP in a matter of minute, and yields completely dechlorinated hydrocarbon molecules and chloride as products. (Abstract shortened by UMI.