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

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0045-6535(99)00209-X

The formation rates of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), activated carbon, and phenol were compared. The heat treatment at 300°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 higher than the values in this study because the residence time of perylene in the reactor is shorter than that of activated carbon. PCDDs were mainly formed from phenol.