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Chemistry

University of Central Florida

Theses/Dissertations

Degradation

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney Jan 2013

Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For centuries chemists have sought to improve humankind’s quality of life and address many of society’s most pressing needs through the development of chemical processes and synthesis of new compounds, often with phenomenal results. Unfortunately, there also are many examples where these chemicals have had unintended, detrimental consequences that are not apparent until years or decades after their initial use. There are numerous halogenated molecules in this category that are globally dispersed, resistant to natural degradation processes, bioaccumulative, and toxic to living organisms. Chemicals such as these are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and due to their negative environmental …


Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Pcb) Contaminated Building Materials Using Non-Metal And Activated Metal Treatment Systems, Tamra Legron-Rodriguez Jan 2013

Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Pcb) Contaminated Building Materials Using Non-Metal And Activated Metal Treatment Systems, Tamra Legron-Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PCBs are recalcitrant compounds of no known natural origin that persist in the environment despite their ban by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1979 due to negative health effects. Transport of PCBs from elastic sealants into concrete, brick, and granite structures has resulted in the need for a technology capable of removing these PCBs from the materials. This research investigated the use of a nonmetal treatment system (NMTS) and an activated metal treatment system (AMTS) for the remediation and degradation of PCBs from concrete, brick, and granite affixed with PCB-laden caulking. The adsorption of PCBs onto the components …


Use Of An Activated Magnesium/Cosolvent System For The Desorption And Degradation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Their Oxygenated Derivatives In Contaminated Soils, Marc Elie Jan 2012

Use Of An Activated Magnesium/Cosolvent System For The Desorption And Degradation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Their Oxygenated Derivatives In Contaminated Soils, Marc Elie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contamination of soils, with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), remains a widespread environmental concern. In the past two decades, many physical, chemical and biological methods have been developed and evaluated for the degradation of PAHs. However, due to their low aqueous solubility, high sorption affinity, hydrophobicity and recalcitrance, the environmental remediation of PAHs in soil continues to be economically challenging. In addition to PAH contamination, the presence of oxygenated derivatives of PAHs (OPAHs), in soils, has increasingly become a concern due to their greater toxic properties compared to parent PAH compounds. To date, no investigations on OPAH-remediation methods have been …


The Behavior Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Polymer Electrolyte Membranes In Ex-Situ And In-Situ Fuel Cell Durability Tests, Benjamin Pearman Jan 2012

The Behavior Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Polymer Electrolyte Membranes In Ex-Situ And In-Situ Fuel Cell Durability Tests, Benjamin Pearman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fuel cells are known for their high efficiency and have the potential to become a major technology for producing clean energy, especially when the fuel, e.g. hydrogen, is produced from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. Currently, the two main obstacles to wide-spread commercialization are their high cost and the short operational lifetime of certain components. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells have been a focus of attention in recent years, due to their use of hydrogen as a fuel, their comparatively low operating temperature and flexibility for use in both stationary and portable (automotive) applications. Perfluorosulfonic acid …