Sonochemical Degradation of Phenol and Para-Chlorophenol in an Ultrasonic bath in the Presence of Inorganic Salts and H2O2

Abstract

Phenol (Ph) and some of its derivatives such as para chloro-phenol (PCP) have received considerable attention from environmental scientists and engineers, due to their undesirable effects in the water environment, where they end up as a result of improper disposal methods. As a consequence, research has been conducted all around the world with the common goal of reducing their concentrations to allowable limits or converting them to non-toxic, non-hazardous forms that may easily be handled by natural decay processes. This report describes a system developed to degrade these substances using sonochemical reactions. Sonochemical degradation of phenolic compounds were carried out in the presence and absence of NaCl, Na2SO4, Na2CO3, NaNO3 and H2O2. In sonochemical degradation of phenol in sonicatior hight degradation rate was obtained in the presence of additives H2O2 and followed the order: Ph+H2O2 > Ph+Na2SO4 ? Ph+NaCl > Ph (0 mM salt & additive) ? Ph+NaNO3 > Ph+Na2CO3. Whereas, in case of parachlorophenol (PCP) hight rate was obtained in the presec of H2O2 and they followed the order: PCP+H2O2 > PCP+NaCl > PCP+Na2SO4 ? PCP (0 mM salt & additive) > PCP+Na2CO3 > PCP + NaNO3.