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Glow Discharge Plasma Induced Dechlorination and Decomposition of Dichloromethane in an Aqueous Solution

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Abstract

In the present study, efficient dechlorination and decomposition of dichloromethane (DCM) induced by glow discharge plasma (GDP) in contact with an aqueous solution was investigated. Experimental results showed that DCM underwent effective dechlorination and decomposition under the action of GDP. Both the removal and the dechlorination of DCM increased with increasing pH and with the presence of hydroxyl radical scavengers and decreased with quenchers of hydrated electrons. Formic acid and formaldehyde were the major intermediate byproducts. Final products were carbon dioxide and chloride ion. Hydrated electrons were the most important active species responsible for initiation of the reaction. Hydrolysis of the resulting chloromethyl radicals played an important role in mineralization of chlorine atoms of the molecule. Hydroxyl radicals were mainly involved in the oxidation of the intermediate byproducts. Reaction mechanism was proposed based on the dechlorination kinetics and the distribution of intermediate byproducts.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (51008262) and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian province, China (2015J01651).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen, 361024, People’s Republic of China

    Lei Wang, Panliang Liu & Tianxiang Chen

  2. College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, People’s Republic of China

    Panliang Liu

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  1. Lei Wang
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  2. Panliang Liu
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Correspondence to Lei Wang.

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Wang, L., Liu, P. & Chen, T. Glow Discharge Plasma Induced Dechlorination and Decomposition of Dichloromethane in an Aqueous Solution. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 36, 615–626 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-015-9658-1

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