Effect of Alcohol Cosolvents on the Aqueous

of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science EFFECT OF ALCOHOL COSOLVENTS ON THE AQUEOUS SOLUBILITY OF TOXAPHENE By Padma Paan August 2005 Chair: Clayton J. Clark II Major Department: Civil and Coastal Engineering Remediation of sites contaminated with chlorinated organic compounds is a significant priority in the environmental field. Traditional pump and treat methods have been found to be inefficient for removal of hydrophobic contaminants from subsurface environments. Research has shown that addition of chemicals known as cosolvents to water increases the aqueous solubility and thus the ease of removal of hydrophobic organic compounds. Toxaphene, a chlorinated hydrophobic organic contaminant, was widely in use as a pesticide until it was banned in 1982 by the USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Despite the ban, it is still prevalent in groundwater and is listed by the USEPA as a priority pollutant. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the aqueous solubility of toxaphene as a function of addition of alcohol cosolvents. Experiments were conducted with three completely water miscible alcohols: methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. Results showed a log linear increase of toxaphene solubility in water-cosolvent systems as a function of cosolvent fraction added. The