title: Inclusion of persistent organic pollutants in humification processes: direct chemical incorporation of phenanthrene via oxidative coupling.
abstract: The participation of phenanthrene in phenol-coupling reactions mediated by horseradish peroxidase was investigated. Aqueous-phase concentrations of phenanthrene were observed to decrease dramatically with phenol as a result of the formation of precipitated products, suggesting a potential means for simultaneous treatment of phenolic contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using peroxidase-mediated oxidative coupling processes. The studies reveal that phenanthrene removal from the aqueous phase occurs by a combination of sorption by and chemical bonding to precipitated reaction products. In that the oxidative coupling reactions of phenolics comprise an important step in the initiation of humification processes, the results obtained provide insights to potential roles that natural humification may play in the sorption, sequestration, and environmental fate of PAHs and other organic xenobiotics of similar nature.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2125, USA. wjwjr@umich.edu
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Qingguo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D019800:Phenol; C031181:phenanthrene; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase