Oxidation of dichlorvos with hydrogen peroxide using ferrous ion as catalyst

This study examines how Fenton's reagent (Fe2+ and H2O2) decomposed dichlorvos insecticide. Results showed that dichlorvos decomposed in a two-stage reaction. The first stage is a Fe2+/H2O2 reaction in which dichlorvos swiftly decomposed. In the second stage, dichlorvos decomposed somewhat less rapidly, and it is a Fe3+/H2O2 reaction. The detection of ferrous ions also supports the theory of the two-stage reaction for the dichlorvos oxidation with Fenton's reagent. The dissolved oxygen of the solution decreased rapidly in the first stage reaction, but it slowly increased in the second stage with a zero-order kinetics. The Fenton system decomposed dichlorvos most rapidly when the initial pH in the solution is 3-4. In addition, increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide or ferrous ions can enhance the decomposition of dichlorvos. Consequently, the relationship of rate constant (k(obs)), [H2O2] and [Fe2+] at initial pH 3 is determined as k(obs) = 2.67 X 10(4)[H2O2](0.7)[Fe2+](1.2). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.