The photo-Fenton reaction, the oxidation of photoproduced Fe(II) by hydrogen peroxide, yields reactive oxidants that may degrade recalcitrant organic compounds in natural surface waters.  In this work, we measured the rates of both the photo-Fenton reaction and OH production during irradiations of model Fe-DOM systems at pH 7.0.  Use of benzene as a OH probe and nitrate photolysis as the OH source indicated that the yield of phenol from the reaction of benzene with OH was reduced in the presence of iron and DOM.  Even when this reduction in yield was accounted for, the rate of OH production was much smaller than the rate of the photo-Fenton reaction, indicating that OH was not the only oxidant produced. However, the photo-Fenton reaction is still likely to be significant for contaminant degradation in circumneutral surface waters.

Photo-Fenton reaction at neutral pH

239th National Meeting (2010)

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