JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY, cilt.293, sa.1, ss.21-38, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, the radiation-induced degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide in aqueous solution was studied under various conditions as a function of irradiation dose in the absence and presence of hydrogen peroxide. The obtained data confirmed that largest yield of radiolytic degradation is obtained in oxidation processes/ionizing radiation, where oxidation is carried out with hydroxyl radicals. For complete degradation of 50 ppm 2,4-D, a required dose was lower in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The formed major toxic phenolic intermediates were 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The chemical analysis of the 2,4-D and the intermediates resulted from the radiolytic degradation were performed using a gas chromatography associated to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with ion trap dedector (ITD) and ion chromatography (IC). The formation of chlorophenols in addition to chloride, formaldehyde and carboxylic acids was studied as a function of absorbed dose.