PROCESS FOR THE FAST CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION OF HALOGENATED AND POLYHALOGENATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, SUCH AS POLYCHLOROBIPHENYLS, POLYCHLORODIBENZOFURANS AND POLYCHLORODIBENZODIOXINS, AND FOR THE DECONTAMINATION OF SURFACES OR FLUIDS

Abstract: Polyhalogenated organic compounds such as PCB, TCDD, PCDD, PCDF, etc. are rapidly dehalogenated and detoxified under the action of UV radiation and a reagent consisting of a) a polyoxygenated compound, such as polyethylenegly­ cols, polyhydroxy compounds and products of condensation of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and b) a base and optionally, c) an oxidizing agent or a source of free radicals.

Description: The present invention relates to a novel method for the decomposition of halogenated and polyhalogenated orga­ nic compounds and for the decontamination of surfaces or fluids contaminated by these substances. The environmental problem resulting from the high or very high toxicity of polyhalogenated compounds used in industry, such as poly­ chlorobiphenyls, polyhalogenophenols, insecticides such as DDT, Kepone, or their reaction products resulting at a high temperature, fires, explosions in the case of polyha­ logenodibenzodioxins and polyhalogenodibenzofurans, is well known. Due to the high stability of the bond between carbon and halogen the polyhalogenated compounds exhibit practically no biodegradability and they remain in the environment for a period of time which has practically no limit with serious problems of pollution and contamina­ tion. Several methods have been proposed for the degrada­ tion of the polyhalogenated compounds. For instance, Euro­ pean application No. 0118858 filed by the applicant, de­ scribes an effective decontaminating reagent which is active even at room temperature and which may be applied for the decontamination of the soil, parts of installa­ tions, buildings, dielectric fluids or other industrial fluids. This reagent consists of: a) a polyoxygenated compound, such as polyethyleneglycols (PEG), polyhydroxy compounds, the products of polycon­ densation of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (Nixo­ len®); b) a base, preferably alkali or alkaline earth carbonates or bicarbonates or alkali or alkaline earth alcoholates when component a) is a Nixolen; c) optionally an oxidizing agent or a source of free radi­ cals such as Na₂O₂ or BaO₂. Component c) is not neces­ sary when there are used alkali or alkaline earth alco­ holates and Nixolen. The reagent may be formulated in various manners with an ample range of viscosity according to the diffe­ rent applications. Further, European application No. 84108597, also filed by the applicant, describes a device for the continuous decontamination of industrial fluids by means of the above described reagent, suitably supported and adsorbed on solid supports. Other methods are based on a reductive photodecompo­ sition. The compound to be destroyed is irradiated with UV radiation of variable wave lengths between 280 and 320 nm in the presence of a hydrogen donor. (Sci. Total Environ­ ment 10 , 97-104, 1978, Kitchens et al. in Detoxication of Hazardous Waste", Ann. Arbor Science, p. 215-226 and U.S.P. No. 4,144,152). The method known under the name LARC (Light Activated Reduction of Chemicals), described in the same U.S.P. 4,144,152, utilizes a flow of gaseous hydrogen which optimizes the photochemical conditions to carry out the dehalogenation of halogenated organic sub­ stances while the other methods on the other hand utilize alcohols which contain very mobile hydrogen atoms. It has now been found surprisingly and this is the object of the present invention, that the use of UV radia­ tion together with the reagent and the device described in the above mentioned European Applications Nos. 0118858 and 84108597.0 permits to achieve substantial advantages with respect to the known methods. To state the matter in dif­ ferent words, the chemical processes of dehalogenation obtained by means of the reagent described hereinabove, which are based on a radical-anionic mechanism become much more effective and rapid due to the synergistic action with ultraviolet radiation. Differently from the known methods, it is not necessary to use a specific and effec­ tive donor of hydogen or gaseous hydrogen. The method according to the invention is particularly simple, econo­ mical and practical also for applications in the field such as, soil, extended surfaces in the open, etc. because it requires the use of reagents which are of little cost, easily available and not dangerous and natural or artifi­ cial UV sources which are easy to handle and easily avai­ lable. It is, for instance, possible to use, in addition to sunlight, high or low pressure mercury vapor lamps and wave lengths between 280 and 320 nm. The process according to the present invention may be used for the decontamination of metallic surfaces, porous surfaces, such as plaster, cement, wood, grit, etc. or hydrocarbons fluids, silicone fluids, non-halogenated synthetic fluids such as gas oil and oil for transformers, etc. As already shown in the European application No. 0118858, the viscosity of the reagent being used may be regulated essentially by the choice of component a)and depends on the type of material being treated. Therefore, a liquid reagent is particularly suitable for porous mate­ rials, while metallic surfaces require preferably a visco­ us reagent or a reagent capable of forming a solid film which later may be removed. A typical example of a reagent may consist of 5-40% by weight of sodium carbonate, 0.1-­ 10% by weight of sodium peroxide or barium peroxide and 50-95% by weight of Nixolen optionally in mixture with PEG. Alternatively, it is possible to use a reagent consi­ sting exclusively of 80-95% by weight of a Nixolen and 20-5% by weight of an alkali alcoholate such as sodium methylate. The reagent may be applied by spraying, spread­ ing or brushing, or in the case of decontamination of fluids, they are simply caused to pass on a support on which the reagent previously has been adsorbed. This sup­ port which may also consist of the same base which is part of the composition of the reagent, may optionally be in­ serted in a device of the type described in European ap­ plication No. 84108597.0. Further it has been found that the penetration of the reagent into porous materials may be significantly improved by using polyether solvents, in particular ethy­ lene or propylene glycols which are mono or disubstituted with alkyl groups such as diethylene glycol dimethyl ether or diglyme®, optionally in the presence of tensioactive agents and surfactants. Finally, always for the purpose of promoting the reaction of dehalogenation, in addition to UV radiation it is possible to rely on other synergistic actions, such as thermal sources, IR, microwaves, electric and ultrasonic fields, the utility of which has already been found and described previously. In the presence of UV radiation, the decontamination reaction proceeds rapidly also at room temperature, a fact which is particularly convenient for the application to large surface areas in the open, etc. The following Examples are not intended to limit the invention but merely to illustrate in more detail the process according to the invention and the advantages which may be achieved. EXAMPLE 1 - SUPPORT METALLIC PLATE CONTAMINATED WITH PCB A liquid reagent in the amount of 1000 mg/mq is spread on two steel plates of 100 x 100 mm size contaminated by 1000 mg/mq of PCB in such a manner to form a continuous film. The liquid reagent consists of Nixo­ len® VS13 and sodium methylate in the proportions of 95-5 by weight. One plate (plate A) is exposed to UV radiation from a high pressure mercury vapor lamp with 150 w while the other plate serves as control. The results obtained from the analysis with gas chromatography and with the electron capture detector (GCECD) are summarized in the table be­ low. EXAMPLE 2 - POROUS SUPPORT, MORTAR CONTAMINATED WITH PCB Two blocks of mortar of composition consisting of 3 parts of sand, 1 part of cement 345, and 0.8 parts of water, of dimensions 35 x 35 x 25 mm are contaminated with 300 mg/mq of PCB. The contaminated surface is treated with 3000 g/mq of 1 : 1 solution of amixture of Nixolen® VS13 - sodium methylate (95:5 by weight) in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether as a solvent (Diglyme®). One of the blocks (A) is exposed to UV source as in Example 1 and the comparison has been made with the reac­ tion carried out in the absence of UV radiation. The results analyzed with GCECD, are summarized hereinbelow. EXAMPLE 3 - SUPPORT: MINERAL OIL CONTAMINATED WITH PCB In two 500 cc beakers containing ISOVOLTINE® mine­ ral oil contaminated with 1,000 ppm pf PCB, there is in­ troduced the following reagent: Nixolen® VS13 - sodium methylate (85:15 by weight) at a concentration of 2,000 ppm per beaker. In one beaker there is immersed the UV source pro­ tected by a quartz shield. The results obtained by GCECD nalysis are summarized in the table hereinbelow. EXAMPLE 4 - SUPPORT: PLASTER CONTAMINATED WITH PCDD AND PCDF A mixture of Nixolen® VS13 - sodium methylate (85:15 by weight) in the amount of 1500 g/mq is spread on 1 mq of a wall with a plaster contaminated by PCDD and PCDF as a result of an explosion and a fire of electric condensers which had been impregnated with PCB. The wall is then exposed for 96 hours to an ultraviolet source from a mercury vapor lamp at high pressure operating at 500 W. At the end of the treatment, the wall is washed (wiped) and then it is analyzed by gas mass analysis (GCMS) and comparison is made between the initial and the final con­ tamination. The results are reported bereinbelow.

Claims: 1. A method for the decomposition of a polyhalogenated compound by reaction with a reagent consisting of a poly­ ethylene glycols, polyalcohols or compounds formed by condensation of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, of alkali or alkaline earth carbonates or bicarbonates or alkali or alkaline earth alcoholate when polycondensates of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are used and optio­ nally an oxidizing agent or a source of free radicals, characterized in that the decontamination reaction is carried out in the presence of ultraviolet radiation. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ultra­ violet radiation is natural or artificial. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said polyhalogenated compound is on a metallic or porous surfa­ ce, in a hydrocarbon fluid, a silicone fluid or in a non-­ halogenated synthetic fluid. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reagent consists of 80-95% by weight of a polycondensate of ethy­ lene oxide and propylene oxide and 20 to 5% by weight of an alkali alcoholate in the absence of an oxidizing agent. 5. The method according to any one of previous claims, wherein said reagent is applied on a contaminated porous surface, in form of a solution in a mono-alkyl or di-alkyl ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, optionally in addi­ tion with tensioactive and surfactant agents mixed there­ to. 6. The method according to any one of previous claims, wherein said polyhalogenated compound is polychlorobiphe­ nyl (PCB), a polychlorodibenzofuran (PCDF), a polychloro­ dibenzodioxin (PCDD) or bromine or fluorine analogs there­ of. 7. The method according to any one of previous claims, wherein the reaction is carried out in the presence of heat sources, IR, microwaves, ultrasounds electric fields.

Inventors: NOBILE, GILBERTO, TUMIATTI, WANDER, TUNDO, PIETRO
Applicants: SEA MARCONI TECHNOLOGIES S.P.A.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A62D3
IPC codes: A62D3, B01J19, A62D101