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Radiolytic degradation of methoxychlor in methanol and monitoring of radiolytic products by HPLC and GC-MS

Abstract Degradation of priority organic pollutant methoxychlor in methanol solution by gamma irradiation under varied experimental conditions has been optimized. The solution of methoxychlor was air saturated before irradiation. The extent of radiolytic degradation efficiency was monitored by reversed phase HPLC-UV; two major and two minor degradation products were detected. For 5 kGy gamma radiation dose at a rate of 200 kGy h−1≥95% methoxychlor was degraded. The degradation was also monitored by GC-ECD and the degradation products were identified using GC-MS after comparing their mass spectra with the NIST 98 m mass spectral library. It is proposed that major degradation occurs through dechlorination, dehydrochlorination, by the detachment of methoxyphenyl from methoxychlor and by interaction of other radicals generated by the methanol radiolysis. The probable reaction schemes for the formation of products have been proposed. Most of the generated products were methoxy substituted, probably due to the availability of the methoxy radical from methanol radiolysis. The identified radiolytic products of methoxychlor and the removal efficiency have been compared with those of UV photolysis. It is observed that although the source of degradation is somewhat different, the end products or radical generated species are of similar nature.