Pbde Degradation With Zero-Valent Bimetallic Systems

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of widely used brominated flame retardants. Due to their extensive use, increasing levels of PBDEs have been found in humans, fish, birds, marine mammals, sediments, house dust, air, and supermarket foods. As a new environmental pollutant, a feasible in-situ remediation method is needed. In situ remediation methods for PCBs have been developed at UCF using palladium/magnesium bimetal created by mechanical alloying. The lessons learned from the PCB work have been applied to PBDEs in this chapter. Several bimetallic systems were examined to determine the rate of debromination of 2,2′,4,4′- tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-047). In addition, kinetic studies on BDE-047 were conducted with 99% degradation in five hours with 0.8% Mg/Pd. During the first 30 minutes, 80% of the BDE-047 is degraded with diphenyl ether detected as one of the byproducts. © 2009 American Chemical Society