Study of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) degradation by catalytic dechlorination

• Grant number: 06/02387-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2006
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal researcher: Reinaldo Camino Bazito
• Grantee: Luiz Américo da Silva Do Vale
• Home Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chlorinated organic compounds that have been heavily used as electrical insulators until they were banned by an International Convention (Stockolm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants). Nowadays these compounds are considered persistent organic pollutants, not biodegradable, toxic, lipophilic (and therefore subjected to bioaccumulation) of great environmental significance. The existent inventory of PCBs (isolated are still in use) constitutes an important environmental problem to which solutions are being searched for.One of the solutions being studied is the catalytic dehalogenation of PCBs, resulting in inorganic chloride and chlorine-free biphenyls, that can be reused for the original applications of PCBs.In this project we propose the study of catalytic dehalogenation reactions of PCBs using noble metal catalysers supported on organic/inorganic matrices, several hydrogen-donnor compounds and experimental conditions. We hope to gain a general vision of the dehalogenation process that would allow its use in industrial processes for the dehalogenation of PCBs