Halogenated aromatic compounds degradation

Reinke, W., Microbial degradation of halogenated aromatic compounds, in Microbial Degradation of Organic Compounds, Gibson, D.T., Ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, 1984, pp. 319-360. 

Sahrn, H., Brunner, M. Schobert, S.M. (1986) Anaerobic degradation of halogenated aromatic compounds. Microbial Ecol. 12., 147-153... 

Intermediates detected during the photocatalytic degradation of halogenated aromatic compounds have been typically hydroxylated stractures and this gives indirect evidence of hydroxyl radicals as the primary reactive oxidant species (13, 14). Such hydroxylated intermediates are also formed when halogenated aromatics are reacted with known precursors of hydroxyl radicals. 

Functional groups. Halogen substitution to an aromatic compound renders it less degradable. The number of substitutions and the location are important. Chlorophenols are an excellent example of increasing resistance with increasing substimtion. Amino and hydroxyl substitutions often increase degradability. 

The photocatalytic degradation of chlorophenols on ZnO has also been demonstrated [127]. The photocatalytic degradation of other chlorinated aromatic compounds [127], phenol [128-134], fluorinated aromatic compounds [135], and other substituted phenols and aromatic compounds [Izumi 1981, 738 Matthews 1984, 2386 Abdullah 1990, 2099 [136-141] have been demonstrated. The degradation of halogenated aromatic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [142] and polybrominated dibenzofiirans [143] has also been attempted. 

In addition to hydrolytic replacement of halogen, reductive displacement has been shown to occur during the degradation of a few aromatic compounds. For example, both hydrolytic and reductive reactions are involved in the degradation of a number of chlorophenols and chlorobenzoates ... 

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