title: Method of removal of volatile organic compounds by using wet scrubber coupled with photo-Fenton reaction--preventing emission of by-products.
abstract: The photo-Fenton reaction was applied as a novel method for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase, and its effectiveness was experimentally examined. In conventional VOCs removal methods using a photocatalyst or ozone, VOCs are oxidized in the gas phase. Therefore, incompletely oxidized intermediates, which may have adverse effects on health, are likely to contaminate the treated air. On the other hand, in the VOCs removal method developed in this study, because the VOCs are oxidized in the liquid phase by the photo-Fenton reaction, any incompletely oxidized intermediates produced are confined to the liquid phase. As a result, the contamination of the treated air by these harmful intermediates can be prevented. Using a semi-batch process, it was found that the removal efficiency for toluene in a one-pass test (residence time of 17s) was 61%, for an inlet toluene gas concentration of 930 ppbv, an initial iron ion concentration of 20 mg L(-1), and an initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 630 mg L(-1). The removal efficiency was almost constant as long as H(2)O(2) was present in the solution. Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the absence of any incompletely oxidized intermediates in the treated air.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan. masahiro.tokumura@veritas-sys.jp
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokumura
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaki
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizukoshi
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014050:Toluene / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; C045076:Fenton's reagent; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D014050:Toluene; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron