Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
5-31-1987
Degree Name
Master of Science in Environmental Science - (M.S.)
Department
Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
First Advisor
Richard Clyde Parker
Second Advisor
David S. Kristol
Third Advisor
Howard S. Kimmel
Abstract
In order to study the sunlight effect on the degradation rate of trace pollutants, ortho-cresol was selected to serve as a model compound in our studies. Solution of ortho-cresol alone, methylene blue alone, and the mixture of ortho-cresol and methylene blue were exposed to sunlight for more than four hours and aliquots analyzed with a spectrophotometer in order to follow the changes in absorption. Rate data were obtained for these three cases as a function of pH.
The results indicate that methylene blue does catalyze the degradation of ortho-cresol in the presence of sunlight with lower pH's affording higher reaction rates.
The methylene Blue Test was carried out using Merck's procedure on samples of natural putrescible waters and artificially prepared putrescible waters. It is observed that methylene blue catalyzes neither of natural putrescible or artificial putrescible samples under the conditions studied in this work.
Recommended Citation
Sheu, Alan R., "The sunlight effect on trace pollutants in wastewater" (1987). Theses. 1979.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/1979
