ABSTRACT
The biorefractory nature of many persistent organic pollutants has resulted in efforts to devise chemical and physical methods of degrading pollutants in waste streams or in contaminated sites such as soils, sediments, and groundwater. Fenton reagent has been applied to the degradation of a wide range of contaminants, predominantly persistent organic pollutants. The primary benefits of the Fenton reagent are its ability to convert a broad range of pollutants to harmless or biodegradable products, its benign nature (residual reagents do not pose an environmental threat), and the relatively low cost of the reagents. The major drawbacks to utilization of Fenton reagent are interferences from nonpollutant species, difficulty in application to the subsurface, generation of excessive or explosive heat under aggressive conditions, and wasted reagent costs due to inefficient application or inefficient pollutant degradation in the subsurface. This chapter will detail the fundamental chemistry of Fenton reagent, discuss the kinetics and mechanisms of pollutant degradation, illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of its application to subsurface remediation, and evaluate recent advances that may improve the utility and efficiency of Fenton reagent for pollutant degradation and subsurface remediation.
