Radiolytic degradation of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and octachlorodibenzofuran in organic solvents and treatment of dioxin-containing liquid wastes

Degradations of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) and octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF) were studied by 60Co γ-ray in organic solvents: ethanol, n-nonane, and toluene. Both OCDD and OCDF were degraded more efficiently in ethanol than in n-nonane or toluene. The degradation is mainly attributed to electrons and in part to solvent radicals. The addition of ethanol to dioxin-containing liquid wastes enhanced effectively the degradation of dioxins; the liquid wastes did not exhibit the dioxin toxicity at a dose of 100 kGy.