Humic polymers, inducing

Photolysis has had limited application for treatment of hazardous waste or detoxification of chemically contaminated materials. The susceptibility of chlorinated aromatics, including herbicides such as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, to UV-induced decomposition is well established (7,8). Photodecomposition of such compounds leads to successive dechlorination followed by condensation reactions to form phenolic polymers (7,8). Other research has demonstrated that CDD and CDF decompose in the presence of UV light (8,9,10) Development of a photochemical process for destroying 2,3,7,8-TCDD in a waste tar indicated similar dechlorination and condensation reactions and products (8). The high-molecular weight end products, which are similar in structure to humic acids, would be expected to have low toxicity and mobility. Therefore, essentially complete... 

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