The use of methylchlorosilanes as an agent to produce water-repellent characteristics in cotton fabrics was patented by W.I. Patnode of the General Electric Company. Since very little information has been published on the process, this investigation was undertaken to determine the optimum conditions for treating cotton fabric. Experimental tests were made using 10 inch square samples of three different poplin type cotton fabrics dried to constant weight in a vacuum dryer and over P₂O₅ in a desiccator. Each cotton sample was treated with one of five different organo chlorosilanes or a mixture of methyltrichlorosilane and dimethyldichlorosilane. The time of contact between the fabric and silane was established at 60 seconds by a number of preliminary tests. Room temperature of approximately 30°C and pressure of approximately 710 mm were arbitrarily chosen for the reaction. The tests were made with the fabric in a three liter distilling apparatus and the required amount of silane for the volume concentration desired was vaporized and transported into the reactor by a difference in pressure of the vaporizer and reaction vessel. Fabric samples were supported in the reactor over a glass distributor ring which disbursed the silane. Volume concentrations of silanes of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 percent were used in the investigation. Neutralization of end products was attempted with a 10 minute dried-air wash, 13-16 percent volume concentration of ammonia and five percent solution of sodium acetate. Data on results of tests on end products indicated the following conclusions: 1. Neutralization of end products is necessary to prevent deterioration of the fabric, as indicated by a maximum reduction in tensile strength of 80 percent as compared to an untreated sample. 2. The 60 second time of silane-fabric contact is sufficient to produce a water-repellent fabric. 3. Fabrics treated with a one percent volume concentration of mixtures of methyltrichlorosilane and dimethyldichlorosilane show a spray test rating of 90 as compared to a rating of 70-80 for fabrics treated with individual silanes. 4. Standard methods of testing treated fabrics do not indicate the hygienic properties of the treated fabrics. / Master of Science

At present, South Africa has inadequate technology to destroy its hazardous waste, with approximately 18000 litres of chlorinated hazardous waste stored in this country. Approximately 800 tons of banned or obsolete chemicals are to be sent to Pontypool. Wales, for incineration, at a considerable cost. Because of the toxic nature of chlorinated waste and their long-term effects on the environment , a sustainable method of dealing with this type of waste is essential. Gas phase destruction of methylene chloride, trichlorobenzene and lindane by pyrolysis (i.e. heating in the absence of oxygen) was attempted. Destruction was effected by high temperature thermal degradation of molecules into free radicals. These radicals then combine to form hydrogen chloride and carbon as major products. This method was chosen so as to eliminate the possible formation of highly toxic oxygenated derivatives such as polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzodioxins that can be formed during incineration if strict control is not excercised. The reactor assembly was built in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Natal. 11 incorporates aspects of many different previously designed reactors, as discussed in the text. Heat for the reactions was supplied by induction. A high frequency induction unit supplied current to a copper coil. The resulting magnetic field induced current to flow in a susceptor housed within the copper coil. The susceptor in this case was a graphite tube, which served as both the heating element and the thermal radiation source, in addition to forming the walls of the reaction zone. Up and down stream processes were designed and experiments were carried out in which reaction temperatures (348-1400°C) and residence times (1.3-5.6 seconds) were varied. Destruction efficiencies of 100% and 99.99% were obtained for methylene chloride and trichlorobenzene respectively, with inert argon used as the carrier gas. These destruction efficiencies comply with the 99.99% stipulated by the United States Conservation and Recovery Act. A cause for concern was the formation of chlorinated benzenes and naphthalenes. Destruction of lindane proved unsuccessful due to limitations in the vapourisation and feed system and will have to be investigated further. The method of induction heating was evaluated to be 98.9% thermally efficient. Raw material and utility consumption per ton of waste destroyed by the pyrolysis process was compared to values for incineration as well as the plasma arc and catalytic extraction processes. Consumption for pyrolysis compares favourably with all three processes and suggests that the process could be competitive. Claims to the success of the technology on a wide scale are limited by the small number of compounds that were successfully pyrolysed. Results do however indicate much promise for this technology to be used as a fi nal chlorinated waste destruction unit on an existing process. Modifications to the existing reactor to improve product recovery and analys is will allow for temperature and residence time optimisation for a variety of wastes. Additional in strumentation and process control will allow for kinetic studies to be undertaken in future. This project should be considered as the first step in an ongoing series of research and subsequent improvements to the technology presented here. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The development of an analytical method for the determination of total organic-bound chlorine (TOCl) produced during the chlorination of municipal wastewater effluents is presented. Sewage effluent from the Denton, Texas municipal treatment plant was chlorinated at high chlorine doses (1000 - 4000 ppm), as well as typical treatment levels. Chlororganics present in the wastewater, before and after chlorination, were concentrated by adsorption on Amberlite XAD-2 macroreticular resin, followed by elution with diethyl ether. After concentration, the extracts were analyzed for TOC1 by microcoulometry. Analysis of wastewater extracts revealed the production of substantial amounts of new chlorinated organics when effluents were treated with chlorine. The method shows good precision and estimated accuracy is favorable.

Grande parte das áreas contaminadas conhecidas atualmente advém de práticas passadas onde os cuidados com a proteção à saúde humana e ao meio ambiente eram desconhecidos ou ignorados. O uso indiscriminado de produtos solventes clorados fez com que tais compostos se tornassem uma das principais fontes de contaminação no setor industrial. Por serem compostos de alta toxicidade, quando presentes na água subterrânea, mesmo em baixas concentrações, a tornam imprópria para o consumo. Técnicas de remediação como atenuação natural, ou que envolvam bombeamento e tratamento de água subterrânea contaminada por solventes clorados, vêm sendo substituídas por metodologias químicas destrutivas, por apresentarem resultados satisfatórios em um período de tempo inferior às técnicas utilizadas anteriormente. Este trabalho objetiva apresentar os resultados obtidos em duas áreas industriais onde foram aplicadas técnicas de remediação, envolvendo a redução química in situ, através da injeção de polisulfeto de cálcio e a oxidação química in situ, com a injeção de permanganato de potássio. Em ambas as áreas, os contaminantes organoclorados são os principais compostos de interesse presentes na água subterrânea. A redução química in situ é uma metodologia que utiliza um agente químico para reduzir óxidos de ferro III, presentes naturalmente no aquífero sedimentar, e transformá-los em ferro II que, por sua vez reduzirá contaminantes organoclorados. A principal característica desta metodologia é a eliminação contígua de dois átomos de cloro das moléculas dos contaminantes, o que tende e diminuir ou eliminar o acúmulo de subprodutos tóxicos como cloreto de vinila. Na oxidação química in situ, o agente promove a transferência de elétrons, onde os íons Cl- das moléculas dos contaminantes são substituídos por H+. Devido à baixa reatividade entre o permanganato de potássio e a matriz do aquífero durante as reações de oxidação química, este oxidante pode ser transportado pelos processos advectivo e dispersivo juntamente com o fluxo da água subterrânea e persistir por um período maior de tempo, reagindo com os contaminantes orgânicos. Ensaios de bancada com solo saturado contaminado de uma das áreas de estudo mostraram excelentes resultados na utilização do polisulfeto de cálcio, mas o mesmo não foi observado no teste piloto realizado em campo. Embora tenha sido observada dispersão do produto nas proximidades de pelo menos um dos pontos onde a solução foi injetada, notou-se que não houve redução significativa dos contaminantes, evidenciando que o ferro II não foi eficaz no processo de degradação. Isto pode ter sido ocasionado por uma série fatores, como possíveis reações, características hidráulicas, ou geológicas do meio. Portanto, o prosseguimento desta metodologia como alternativa de remediação para toda a área impactada foi descontinuado, tornando necessário novos estudos para avaliar a melhor técnica aplicável na área. Quanto à área onde foi aplicada a oxidação química, a remediação foi considerada eficiente. Ao longo do período de vinte e dois meses, quando foram realizadas atividades de monitoramento da água subterrânea, observou-se a presença do permanganato de potássio nas áreas mais impactadas das plumas de contaminação, fato que permitiu o processo de transferência de elétrons e consequentemente a oxidação dos contaminantes. Vinte e dois meses após as atividades de injeção, o principal contaminante identificado na área, o 1,-1-dicloroeteno, foi detectado em apenas um ponto com concentração superior a meta de remediação obtida anteriormente à injeção. Considerando que durante a sequência das atividades relacionadas à remediação, este contaminante sofreu alterações em seus valores toxicológicos estabelecidos pela Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos, e passou a ser considerado um composto não carcinogênico, todos os poços apresentaram-se com concentrações inferiores a nova meta de remediação calculada. Como efeito colateral, foi observado o aumento das concentrações de metais dissolvidos, como: alumínio, bário, cromo e ferro. Tal mobilização de metais para a água subterrânea pode ser considerada temporária. Após o total consumo do permanganato de potássio pelos contaminantes ainda presentes no meio, as características físico-químicas do aquífero retornarão à situação identificada naturalmente, permitindo a precipitação dos metais. / Most of the currently known contaminated areas are the result of past practices, where precautions regarding protection of human health and the environment were either unknown or ignored. The indiscriminate use of chlorinated solvents is the driving factor that has led to such compounds becoming one of the main sources of contamination in the industrial sector. Chlorinated solvents are highly toxic and, when present at even low concentrations in groundwater, they make this resource unfit for human consumption. Such remediation techniques as natural attenuation, or that involve pumping and treatment of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated solvents, are currently being replaced by destructive chemical methods, as they show satisfactory results in a shorter period of time than previously used techniques. This study has the objective of showing the results obtained at two industrial sites where remediation techniques have been used involving in-situ chemical reduction, through injection of calcium polysulfide, and in-situ chemical oxidation, with injection of potassium permanganate. At both sites, organochlorine contaminants are the main compounds of concern present in groundwater. In-situ chemical reduction is a methodology that uses a chemical agent in order to reduce iron III oxides, naturally present in the sedimentary aquifer, and transform them into iron II which, in turn, reduces the organochlorine contaminants. The principal characteristic of this methodology is that of contiguous elimination of two chlorine atoms from contaminant molecules, which tends to reduce or eliminate accumulation of such toxic byproducts as vinyl chloride. In in-situ chemical oxidation, the chemical agent brings about a transfer of electrons, where the Cl- ions of contaminant molecules are replaced by H+ ions. Due to the low degree of reactivity between potassium permanganate and the aquifer matrix during chemical oxidation reactions, this oxidizing agent can be transported via groundwater flow, by advective and dispersive processes, and persist for a longer period of time, reacting with organic contaminants. Bench tests performed with contaminated saturated soil from one of the sites under study showed excellent results through the use of calcium polysulfide; however, the same results were not observed during a pilot test performed in the field. Although product dispersion was observed in the vicinity of at least one of the points where the solution had been injected, it was found that there was no significant reduction of contaminants, showing that iron II was not effective in enhancing the degradation process. This could have been the result of a series of factors, for example, possible reactions or the hydraulic or geological characteristics of the medium. Therefore, it was decided not to continue with use of this methodology as a remediation alternative for the whole impacted area, making it necessary for further studies in order to assess the best technique applicable at the site. With respect to the site where a chemical oxidation approach was adopted, remediation was considered to be effective. Over a period of twenty-two months, during which groundwater monitoring activities were performed, the presence of potassium permanganate was observed in the most impacted areas of the contamination plumes, a fact that allowed for the electron transfer process and, consequently, contaminant oxidation. Twenty-two months after initiation of injection activities, the main contaminant identified at the site (1,1-dichloroethene) was only detected at one point at a concentration exceeding the post-remediation target value established prior to commencing these activities. Considering that, during the sequence of activities related to the remediation process, this contaminant underwent changes in its toxicological values established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and came to be considered a non-carcinogenic compound, all wells showed concentrations below the new calculated post-remediation target. As a collateral effect, there was found to be an increase in concentrations of such dissolved metals as aluminum, barium, chromium and iron. Such mobilization of metals to groundwater can be considered a temporary effect. Following complete consumption of potassium permanganate by contaminants still present in the medium, the physical-chemical characteristics of the aquifer will return to the situation occurring naturally, allowing for the precipitation of these metals.

Em regiões altamente contaminadas como a região da Baixada Santista, é importante estabelecer metas para a recuperação do ambiente. Apesar da ausência da contaminação ser a meta ideal, as implicações e os custos associados a esse objetivo, demanda o estabelecimento de metas de recuperação realistas em relação aos contaminantes presentes na região. Com o objetivo de caracterizar valores de referência de qualidade de sedimentos para compostos orgânicos na região da Baixada Santista, o Canal de Bertioga foi escolhido como local de referência por ser uma região sem fontes industrais ou outras fontes pontuais relativas aos compostos analisados. Amostras de água, sedimento e ostras foram coletadas e os hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (PAHs), bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) e pesticidas organoclorados (OCPs) foram determinados por técnicas cromatográficas. A avaliação dos resultados de análises de PAHs, permite afirmar com alguma segurança, que os valores da somatória de PAHs das amostras sedimentos são, na sua grande maioria, inferiores a 1.000 µg/kg, não superando 1.600 µg/kg, concentrações abaixo dos limites estabelecidos na Resolução CONAMA 344/04 e abaixo dos valores que possam causar algum efeito adverso à biota, conforme valores descritos na literatura. Resultados de análise de PCBs, OCPs, compostos fenólicos e compostos orgânicos voláteis (VOCs) em amostras de sedimento, indicaram concentrações destes compostos abaixo dos limites de quantificação, exceto DDE (5,30 g/kg) e HCB (2,34 g/kg), que foram detectados em apenas um ii sítio de amostragem. Não houve evidências de possíveis fontes de emissão próximas à região de referência para PCBs, OCPs, compostos fenólicos e VOCs. Finalizando, espera-se que os resultados obtidos neste estudo possam fornecer subsídios para futuramente estabelecer uma área de referência para qualidade de sedimento na região da Baixada Santista, ou ainda serem utilizados em conjunto com as avaliações de contaminantes inorgânicos, testes ecotoxicológicos e indicadores biológicos, como ferramenta para avaliação da qualidade de sedimento e/ou para a classificação de material a ser dragado na região da Baixada Santista. / In highly contaminated places like Baixada Santista region, it is important to establish goals for cleaning the environment. Although the absence of contamination would be the ideal goal, the implications and costs related to this goal, demand the establishment of realistic recovery goals for the contaminants presents in the region. Aiming to characterize sediment quality reference values for organic compounds in Baixada Santista region, Bertioga´s Channel was chosen as reference site because there is no direct industrial sources related to the compounds of interest in that region. Water, sediment and oister samples were collected and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) were determined by chromatographic techniques. From the PAHs results evaluation, is possible to conclude with some degree of confidence, that the sum of PAHs of sediment samples are in the majority lower than 1,000 µg/kg and not higher than 1,600 µg/kg, and these values are below the regulated value (CONAMA 344/04) and lower than those values that may cause any adverse effects for the biota as indicated in the literature. Results of PCBs, OCPs, phenols and VOCs analysis in sediment samples, were below the quantitation limits of the specific methods, except for DDE (5.30 µg/kg) and HCB (2.34 µg/kg) each, detected only in one sampling site. There was no evidence of possible emission source near the reference site for PCBs, OCPs, phenolic compounds and VOCs. Finally, the results obtained in this study may be used as subsidy for the establishment of a reference area for sediment quality in the Baixada Santista region, or still be used together with inorganic contamints, ecotoxicological and biological indicators evaluations as tool for the sediment quality evaluation and/or for dredged material classification in the Baixada Santista region. For the compounds not detected, the suggestion is to use the quantitation limits as the reference value.

" Hydrodechlorination is the reaction of a chlorinated organic compound (R-Cl) with hydrogen to form a carbon-hydrogen bond and HCl: R-Cl + H2 = R-H + HCl. This reaction is used in refrigerant manufacturing, industrial by-product reclamation and waste management. These practical applications require in-depth understanding of hydrodechlorination reaction. In this research work, we studied four families of chlorinated compounds; CF3CF3-xClx(x=1-3), CH4-xClx (x=1-4), CF4-xClx (x=1-4) and dichloropropanes (1,1-, 1,2-, 1,3-, 2,2-), on supported palladium catalysts to create a theory capable of predicting the hydrodechlorination rate on chlorinated compounds and to explore the reaction mechanism. A possible set of elementary reaction steps of hydrodechlorination reaction was proposed from our kinetics study of all these compounds. In this set of reaction steps, the irreversible scission of the first C-Cl bond in a chlorinated compound was proposed to be the rate-determining step; gas phase H2 and HCl were suggested to be in equilibrium with surface H and Cl species; adsorbed Cl was assumed to be the most abundant surface intermediate. The overall rate of hydrodechlorination reaction could be derived from these reaction steps as r=k'[R-Cl]/(1+K'[HCl]/[H2]0.5). In this rate equation, k'is the product of the adsorption equilibrium constant of the chlorinated compound on catalyst surface times the rate constant for the scission of the first C-Cl bond scission step, and K'is the square root of the equilibrium constant for the equilibrium between H2, HCl and their corresponding surface species: 2HCl + 2* = H2 + 2Cl*. The hydrodechlorination reaction of CF3CFCl2 was performed in the presence of H37Cl to study the reversibility of C-Cl bond scission, and the removal of the first Cl atom from CF3CFCl2 was found to be an irreversible step. Hydrodechlorination experiments of CF3CFCl2 with D2 and HCl mixture revealed that D2 and HCl were in equilibrium with surface adsorbed hydrogen and chlorine during reaction. The forward rate and reverse rate of this equilibrium were at least 400 times higher than the overall hydrodechlorination rate. This result supported the assumption of equilibrium for 2HCl + 2* = H2 + 2Cl*. Additionally, the activation energy for the rate determining step was extracted from hydrodechlorination reaction kinetics results of CH4-xClx (x=1-4), CF4-xClx (x=1-4) and dichloropropanes (1,1-, 1,2-, 1,3-, 2,2-) compounds. It was found that for each of the series compounds, a linear relationship existed between C-Cl bond scission activation energy and gas phase C-Cl bond strength. This observation corroborates our assumption that the removal of the first Cl atom from a chlorinated compound is the rate-determining step in the hydrodechlorination reaction. Thus, all kinetic and isotope experimental results obtained from this study are consistent with the proposed reaction steps for the chlorinated compounds tested. This set of reaction steps can also be used to predict the hydrodechlorination reaction rate of a chlorinated compound, once its gas phase C-Cl bond energy is calculated and the turnover rate of a reference chlorinated compound with similar structure is known. Some work has been done to study hydrodechlorination reaction steps and reaction intermediates beyond the rate-limiting step. Isotope tracing experiments with D2 indicated that CH3-, CH2- groups adjacent to a C-Cl bond could undergo deuterium exchange. The study of reactions steps using ab initio methods, including calculation of rate constants, is also under way. Calculations for the CH4-xClx (x=1-4) family showed that the heat of adsorption and C-Cl bond dissociation energy on a Pd surface were linearly related to their gas phase C-Cl bond strength."

No description available.

The Arctic has long been considered to be a pristine environment, far from population centers and pollution sources. The detection of synthetic organochlorine compounds in various elements of the Arctic food web has confirmed the global dispersion of pollutants, particularly of persistent compounds such as organochlorines and heavy metals. Levels of heavy metals, although elevated, appear to be naturally so throughout much of the Arctic. Arctic pollution is both a humanitarian and ecological concern. Many arctic coastal communities depend heavily on marine mammal fat for sustenance, and are therefore potentially exposed to high levels of organochlorines and some metals. From an ecological perspective, the structure of arctic food webs, the importance of lipid mobilization for winter survival, and the adaptive physiologies of arctic organisms may result in an enhanced response to contaminant exposure. This thesis assesses the exposure and effect of organochlorine and heavy metal exposure in inland freshwater ecosystems of Arctic Alaska, and evaluates the physiological response of arctic grayling to experimental polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2003. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Appendix reproduces four papers and manuscripts co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Biotechnology)-Dept. of Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2007 xxi, 117 leaves / The aromatic compounds Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are one of the largest groups of environmental pollutants. The greatest concern is the release of PCBs in the water systems by industrial effluent, accidental spillages or leaks. PCBs are able to bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of animals, fish and humans. The impact on human health due to PCBs has prompted interest in their degradation. The application of microbial degradation of PCBs can transform many PCB metabolites. There are a wide variety of microorganisms that can degrade PCBs or utilise them as sole carbon sources. This study focused on isolating microrganisms from industrial wastewater capable of aerobic degradation of PCBs. The degradation potential of the selected isolates were investigated by using different analytical techniques viz. ultra violet or visible spectrophotometer (UV/Vis), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography electron capture detector (GC-ECD).