Water-treatment processes that generate hydroxyl radicals are often used to remove organic chemicals that contaminate groundwater....

  

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Water-treatment processes that generate hydroxyl radicals are often used to remove organic chemicals that contaminate groundwater. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is a very reactive free-radical species that can be thought of as a piece of a molecule. In an attempt to again become a whole molecule, OH will attack almost any organic molecule, either adding to a double bond or pulling off a hydrogen atom to become water. Because of this property, the hydroxyl radical can be used to degrade organic contaminants completely to carbon dioxide and water, providing a remediation tool that leaves no harmful by-products. In some applications, a small amount of toxic material like trichloro- ethylene (TCE) must be destroyed in the presence of a much larger quantity of "nontarget" material such as natural organic material (Exer- cise 9.3), or, in the case of industrial wastewater, some organic material that is either environmentally benign or can subsequently be treated more cheaply by biological methods. This material, usually characterized instrumentally by the measurement of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), may compete for hydroxyl radical with the contaminant to the extent that the economic feasibility of the process may depend on the outcome of this competition. Can you make any statement regarding the apparent reaction order at very small and very large times? Water-treatment processes that generate hydroxyl radicals are often used to remove organic chemicals that contaminate groundwater. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is a very reactive free-radical species that can be thought of as a piece of a molecule. In an attempt to again become a whole molecule, OH will attack almost any organic molecule, either adding to a double bond or pulling off a hydrogen atom to become water. Because of this property, the hydroxyl radical can be used to degrade organic contaminants completely to carbon dioxide and water, providing a remediation tool that leaves no harmful by-products. In some applications, a small amount of toxic material like trichloro- ethylene (TCE) must be destroyed in the presence of a much larger quantity of "nontarget" material such as natural organic material (Exer- cise 9.3), or, in the case of industrial wastewater, some organic material that is either environmentally benign or can subsequently be treated more cheaply by biological methods. This material, usually characterized instrumentally by the measurement of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), may compete for hydroxyl radical with the contaminant to the extent that the economic feasibility of the process may depend on the outcome of this competition. Can you make any statement regarding the apparent reaction order at very small and very large times?

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From the given Apparent Reaction Order at Different Timescales Based on the information provided heres what we can infer about the apparent reaction o... View the full answer