Title

Reduction of benzo a pyrene with acid-activated magnesium metal in ethanol: A possible application for environmental remediation

Authors

Authors

M. R. Elie; C. A. Clausen;C. L. Geiger

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Hazard. Mater.

Keywords

Benzo[a]pyrene; Reduction; Magnesium; Ethanol; Polycyclic aromatic; hydrocarbons; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS; CATALYTIC-HYDROGENATION; DNA-ADDUCTS; METABOLIC-ACTIVATION; GRIGNARD-REAGENTS; MILD CONDITIONS; METHANOL; MECHANISM; HALIDES; WATER; Engineering, Environmental; Engineering, Civil; Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a well-known threat to the environment. Substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils and sediments can have severe and long-term effects on human and environmental health. There is an urgent need for the development of safe technologies for their effective degradation. Here we present a new technique using ball-milled magnesium powder and ethanol solvent as a convenient electron transfer/proton source for the partial reduction of PAHs under ambient conditions. The rates of degradation were determined while evaluating the influences of acetic acid and type of ball-milled magnesium added to the reaction mixture. The results of these triplicate studies indicate that with the use of acetic acid as an activator and ball-milled magnesium carbon (Mg/C), this reducing system (Mg-EtOH) is able to achieve a 94% conversion of 250 mu g/mL of toxic benzo[a]pyrene into a mixture of less toxic and partially hydrogenated polycyclic compounds within 24 h. This methodology can be used as a combined process involving ethanol washing followed by reduction reaction and it can also be considered as an easy handling and efficient alternative process to the catalytic hydrogenation of PAHs. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Volume

203

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

77

Last Page

85

WOS Identifier

WOS:000300204800010

ISSN

0304-3894

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