Degradation and detoxifi cation of 2-chlorophenol aqueous solutions using ionizing gamma radiation

Chlorophenols are widely used in various industries, including as preservatives in wood manufacturing, in paper industry, in chemical synthesis, and in biodegradation of herbicide and pesticide [1]. These applications lead to considerable level of contamination in wastewater and ground water [2]. Chlorophenols are highly toxic, poorly biodegradable, and present serious health concerns to human and to the environment [3]. Thus, they have been included in both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and European Union list of priority pollutants [4]. The search for clean, fresh, and potable water has always been a priority for mankind. The permanent threat to natural environments, resulting from industrial activity and municipal infrastructures, draws signifi cant attention on the development of effi cient technologies for the removal of anthropogenic pollutants and complete destruction of toxic compounds [5, 6]. Traditional wastewater treatment methods such as chlorination, adsorption, coagulation, fi ltration, sedimentation, adsorption on activated carbon, ultrafi ltration, reverse osmosis, and electrocoagulation are versatile and useful technologies [7]. However, they have certain limitations such Degradation and detoxifi cation of 2-chlorophenol aqueous solutions using ionizing gamma radiation Ahmed Ali Basfar, Majid Muneer, Omar Ahmed Alsager