Effects of key reaction parameters on the reductive dechlorination of chloroform with Pd/Fe⁰bimetal in aqueous solution

Abstract

In this study, bimetallic Pd/Fe(0) particles were synthesized and employed to reduce chloroform in aqueous solution. The investigation emphasized on the effects of some key reaction parameters including Pd/Fe(0) dosage, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and presence of anions on the reductive dechlorination reaction. The experimental results showed that high Pd/Fe(0) dosage, low initial pH and low ORP benefited the reductive dechlorination of chloroform. The ORP values in the aqueous chloroform solution bubbled with different gases of N(2), O(2) and air varied significantly and the efficiency of chloroform degradation under different atmospheres followed an order from high to low as N(2) > air > O(2). The experiments also demonstrated that SO(4)(2 -) and NO(3)(-) ions inhibited the dechlorination reaction significantly, while H(2)PO(4)(-) ion had no significant influence on the dechlorination.