Self-purification of Aquatic Media from Hexachlorocyclohexane in a Radical Process

Hydrogen Peroxide in Ecological and Environmental Chemistry

This review paper is focused on the detailed consideration of the structure, properties and reactions of H2O2. The paper highlights the importance of revealing these processes’ mechanisms, since they have been insufficiently studied so far, or the related data have a fragmentary and incomplete character. A special attention is given to catalytic oxidation reactions, formation and properties of intermediates, their role in the natural environment.

Sensitized Photolysis of Thioglycolic Acid in Aquatic Environment

The photochemical transformations of thioglycolic acid using model systems was studied by varying the irradiation sources and the kinetic parameters were determined. It was found that thioglycolic acid undergoes destruction on induced photolysis in the presence of humic substances, and its half-life can be estimated as 10-14 days, depending on weather conditions (cloudiness, time of day, season etc.). Results obtained in the course of this study on model systems were transferred to natural waters, and it was concluded that thioglycolic acid has a positive influence on the chemical self-purification processes of water, in the natural aquatic environment. This is manifested by increasing the self-purification capacity of water, due to the generation of active oxygen species, which lead to the degradation not only of this thiol, but of other pollutants present in aquatic environment, as well. At the same time, the products of the transformations are harmless to the aquatic environment and hydrobionts.