Triclosan, an antibacterial agent that has been incorporated into numerous consumer products, including hand soap, toothpaste and textiles, is capable of undergoing direct photodegradation. The phenolate (pKa=8.1) is the photoactive form of triclosan. During its photodegradation, the formation of 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls ((OH)2PCBs) occurs, which also pose a risk to aquatic organisms. In this work, we explore the photodegradability of these transformation products by direct photolysis. The results show that these compounds are capable of being degraded in ultraviolet B (UVB, 280-315 nm) and ultraviolet A (UVA, 315-400 nm) light with relatively high quantum yields. Understanding the environmental fate of these compounds is not only important for determining the ultimate impact of triclosan occurrence in the environment, but also because chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and hydroxylated PCBs have other sources that contaminate environmental systems (i.e., historical contamination from industrial wastes).

Investigating the photodegradation of triclosan’s photodegradation products:  Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and hydroxylated biphenyls

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.