Relevance study of bare and coated zero valent iron nanoparticles for lindane degradation from its by-product monitorization

• Iron particles modified with different polymers have been synthesized.
• Zero-valent iron nanoparticles have been applied for the degradation of lindane.
• The employed analytical tools make it possible to evaluate degradation reaction effectiveness.
• Developed analytical methods make possible the detection of originated volatile by-products.
• Different nanoparticle–polymer could be used according to desired degradation kinetics.

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (NZVI) as well as polymer–stabilized nanoparticles were synthesized and used for lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) degradation in aqueous solution. To study the effectiveness of the different coated nanoparticles, simple and rapid analytical methods have been developed to measure and to detect lindane and its by-products. For the monitorization of lindane degradation solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used, while volatile by-products formation measurement was carried out by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS–SPME) followed by GC/MS. The SPE–GC/MS method provides low detection limits (0.2 μg L−1), high recovery (above 95%) and it is a valuable tool for kinetic studies of the degradation process for each polymer used, while HS–SPME–GC/MS has proved to be an effective tool for the extraction and evaluation of volatile degradation by-products.