Formation rates of polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzo-p-dioxins from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, activated carbon and phenol

The formation rates of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), activated carbon, a nd phenol were compared. The heat treatment at 300 degrees C of all tested PAH on silica in the presence of CuCl2 preferred PCDFs over PCDDs. Perylene reproducibly gave a higher yield of PCDFs than activated carbon gave under the same conditions. The formation rate of PCDFs from perylene could be hi gher than the values in this study because the residence time of perylene i n the reactor is shorter than that of activated carbon. PCDDs were mainly f ormed from phenol. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.