Gamma radiolytic degradation of fluoranthene and monitoring of radiolytic products using GC-MS and HPLC

Removal of priority pollutant fluoranthene in methanol by gamma-irradiation under varied conditions has been optimized. The influence of applied dose and dose rate on the degradation of fluoranthene under nitrogen has been investigated. The preliminary radiolytic degradation efficiency has been monitored by spectrophotometry. HPLC and GC-MS have been used to study the nature of degradation pattern. It is found that four main degradation products are formed and detected by HPLC. Different reversed phase columns have been used for the separation of degraded products under optimum chromatographic conditions. For 2 kGy dose ⩾80% fluoranthene has been degraded at dose rate 200 Gy/h. However, a dose of 370 Gy/h was more effective and it produces for less degradation products. Radiolytic degraded fluoranthene was also analyzed to detect various degradation products using GC-MS. It was proposed that major products were hydrocarbons and methoxy group containing organic compounds after comparing their mass spectra with the installed NIST mass spectral library.