Radiation-induced decomposition of aqueous trichloroethylene solutions

Abstract

In air-saturated reagent grade water, 10 ppm trichloroethylene are decomposed by γ radiation in a roughly first-order reaction; the initial G-value being 5.4 molecules/100 eV. At sub-ppm concentrations the kinetics remain roughly first-order; the initial G-values decrease with decreasing concentration. The main decomposition products are Cl −, CO 2 and HCOOH. A tentative reaction scheme in accordance with these results is presented.