Kinetics and Mechanism of the Degradation of Methyl Parathion in Aqueous Hydrogen Sulfide Solution: Investigation of Natural Organic Matter Effects

Abstract

The kinetics of the transformation of methyl parathion have been investigated in aqueous solution containing reduced sulfur species and small concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM) from different sources such as soil, river, and peat. It was shown that NOM mediates the degradation of methyl parathion in aqueous solutions containing hydrogen sulfide. After evaluating and quantifying the effect of the NOM concentration on the degradation kinetics of methyl parathion in the presence of hydrogen sulfide, it was found that the observed pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants (k(obs)) were proportional to NOM concentrations. The influence of pH on the degradation of methyl parathion in the aqueous solutions containing hydrogen sulfide and NOM has been studied. The rate of degradation of methyl parathion was strongly pH dependent. The results indicate k(obs) with a commercially available humic acid has a maximum value at approximately pH 8.3. Two main reaction mechanisms are identified to dominate the degradation of methyl parathion in aqueous solution containing hydrogen sulfide and NOM based on the products aminomethyl parathion and desmethyl methyl parathion. The two mechanisms are nitro-group reduction and nucleophilic attack at the methoxy-carbon. The reduction of the nitro-group is only observed in the presence of NOM. The results of this study form an important base for the evaluation and interpretation of transformation processes of methyl parathion in the environment.