Studies on Dechlorination of DDT with Alkaline 2-propanol and Iron-Nickel (Fe-Ni) Catalyst.
Abstract
The Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) pesticides were previously extensively used in the cotton production and other agricultural activities in Pakistan and at least three thousand metric tons of obsolete pesticides have been stored under extreme hazardous conditions in more than thousand sites. Locally banned or severely restricted pesticides are easily available and DDT is continuously illegally imported and use in our country. Elimination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) waste has received considerable attention over the past two decades. Existing catalytic hydrodechlorinated techniques for disposing of OCPs are very costly due to the use of noble metals as catalysts. The aim of our study is to develop the cost effective and efficient method for the safe disposal of OCPs. This study is in continuation work on dechlorination of organochlorine pesticides with Fe-Ni catalyst in alkaline 2-propanol media. We turned our attention to the development of DDT disposal method for the third world countries. Herein, we report our first finding that in alkaline 2-propanol with Fe-Ni catalyst is an effective method for dechlorination of DDT. Catalytic dechlorination of DDT was carried out in an alkaline solution of NaOH and 2-propanol in the presence of catalyst at the temperature below 82 oC and end products were analyzed by using Gas Chromatography (GC-ECD) and Ion Chromatography (IC) techniques. Results obtained with initial concentration of DDT ranging between 10-100 μg/ml showed conversion of DDT to chlorine free product within 4 hrs.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUSM.B73A..11S
- Keywords:
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- 0471 Oxidation/reduction reactions (4851);
- 0498 General or miscellaneous