SOLUBILITY OF CHLORINATED PESTICIDES IN SUPERCRITICAL CARBON-DIOXIDE

Supercritical fluid extraction is a potential technique for the decont amination of soils and other solid materials containing residual pesti cides. The solubilities of pesticides in supercritical carbon dioxide are being measured as part of a program in which this extraction techn ology is being investigated. The solubilities of methoxychlor, endrin, and lindane in supercritical CO2, as measured using a dynamic saturat ion technique, are reported at pressures between 100 and 220 bar and a t two temperatures, 313.1 and 331.1 K. These chemicals have relatively high solubilities with the measured Values ranging from 7.36 x 10(-6) to 2.69 x 10(-3) mole fraction. The solubilities exhibit a clear depe ndence on the solvent density, and this has been used to provide a sim ple and precise correlation of the data.