Effect of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate on the trichloroethene degradation by Dehalococcoides-containing consortium

This paper reports the findings of an examination on the influence of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on the degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) by Dehalococcoides-containing consortium (designated UC-1). Compared with the control, the results indicated that (i) in 100 μmol/L AQDS, TCE was rapidly degraded. More ethene was produced, while less vinyl chloride (VC) was accumulated. AQDS might improve the activity of organisms in dechlorinating populations which resulted in more ethene being accumulated in the medium; (ii) in 500 μmol/L AQDS, TCE was incompletely degraded. Presumably, 500 μmol/L AQDS might have an inhibition effect on methanogens in the UC-1. The inhibition effect might influence the interactions among methanogens, Dehalococcoides species and other organisms in the UC-1.     

Ozonation of trichloroethylene in acetic acid solution with soluble and solid humic acid

The combined flushing and oxidation process using acetic acid and ozone has been used successfully to remove trichloroethylene (TCE) completely from contaminated soil. In this study, the effects of humic acid, a fraction of the organic matter in soil, over the performance of TCE decomposition was evaluated. TCE decomposition by ozone was enhanced by the presence of humic acid at concentrations lower than 8mgCL(-1) and then inhibited at higher concentrations. It is possible that the presence of the soluble humic acid fraction during the ozonation of TCE in acetic acid solutions produces hydroxyl radicals during the TCE ozonation which appears to be the reason for the enhanced TCE decomposition rate. Solid humic acid reduced TCE decomposition rate by acting as an ozone scavenger. Similarly, sorbed TCE reduced the amount of TCE available for decomposition by ozone in solution.     

Use of an integrated photocatalysis/hollow fiber microfiltration system for the removal of trichloroethylene in water

This work focused on the degradation of toxic organic compounds such as trichloroethylene (TCE) in water, using a combined photocatalysis/microfiltration (MF) system. The performances of the hybrid system were investigated in terms of the removal efficiency of TCE and membrane permeability, in the presence or absence of background species, such as alkalinity and humic acids. The mass balancing of the fate of TCE during photocatalytic reactions was performed in order to evaluate the feasibility of the photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR). Greater TCE degradation (>60%) was achieved with an increase in the TiO2 dosage (up to 1.5g/L) in PMR, but a substantially large TiO2 dosage brought about a decrease in TCE degradation efficiency. The photocatalytic decomposition of TCE appeared to be more effective in acidic pH conditions than with a neutral or alkaline pH. The addition of alkalinity and humic acid into the feedwater did not have a significant effect on TCE degradation, while humic acids (whose dose was 1mg/L as TOC) in the feedwater played a part in a decline of permeability by 60%. Membrane permeability in the PMR was also affected by tangential velocities. An improvement of 60% in flux was achieved when the tangential velocity increased from 0.19 to 1.45m/s. This is because flow regimes can govern the deposition of TiO2 particles on the membrane surface.     

Influence of inorganic soil components and humic substances on the mechanochemical removal of pentachlorophenol

The influence of the presence of humic acids of different origin on the catalytic transformation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by two metal oxides, ferrihydrite and birnessite, using mechanochemical contact was studied. The mechanochemical dry contact with light grinding of PCP and birnessite was more effective than that observed in the presence of ferrihydrite (approximately 70 and 40% of PCP removal after 20 days, respectively). The removal of PCP by birnessite and ferrihydrite was significantly enhanced in the presence of humic acid (HA). The different origin of humic acids (agricultural, forest and commercial) showed a slight influence on the overall reaction. The commercial HA, when mixed with birnessite, was more effective in reducing PCP concentration compared to the others two HAs investigated. The transformation process in the presence of birnessite with and without HA was accompanied by the release of four chlorides per molecule of PCP transformed.     

Effects of humidity and soil organic matter on the sorption of chlorinated methanes in synthetic humic-clay complexes.

Vapor-phase sorption is the most influential process governing the transport and the fate of volatile organic compounds in soil. To understand the influence of both soil organic content and the humidity of soil on the vapor sorption is an important process for degradation processes. The single-pellet moment technique was used to investigate sorption and diffusion of trichloromethane (TCM) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC) at varying relative humidities (0-80%) of synthetic humic-clay complex pellets consisting of clay (montmorillonite) and different amounts of organic matter (humic acid). The effective diffusivities of TCM and CTC did not show a noticeable change with moisture and humic acid content. On the other hand, with increasing humic acid content of clay at 0% relative humidity, an appreciable decrease of the equilibrium sorption constants of the tracers (TCM, CTC) was found because of the blockage of some sites of the mineral surfaces and especially micropores by the humic acid. The presence of water also reduced dramatically the sorption of TCM and CTC on synthetic humic-clay complexes. Above 20% relative humidity, the sorption coefficient of TCM and CTC varied only slightly with humic acid content. It was concluded that the sorption of TCM and CTC in synthetic humic-clay complexes was strongly effected by the moisture and humic acid content.     

Cometabolic degradation of TCE in enriched nitrifying batch systems

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the trace pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE) on the nitrification process and to assess its cometabolic degradation. Nitrification was accomplished in batch suspended growth systems containing an enriched nitrifier culture. The presence of TCE resulted in both the inhibition of specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) and specific ammonium utilization rate (qNH(4)-N). In both SOUR and qNH(4)-N a 50% decrease was observed in a TCE concentration range of 1000-2000 ppb. TCE was cometabolically degraded by this enriched nitrifier culture. The cometabolic degradation of TCE was found to be dependent on initial TCE concentration. The results may be applicable in the treatment of TCE containing industrial wastewaters and contaminated groundwaters and soils.     

Semicontinuous microcosm study of aerobic cometabolism of trichloroethylene using toluene

A semicontinuous slurry-microcosm method was applied to mimic trichloroethylene (TCE) cometabolic biodegradation field results at the Que-Jen in-situ pilot study. The microcosm study confirmed the process of aerobic cometabolism of TCE using toluene as the primary substrate. Based on the nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA genes, the toluene-oxidizing bacteria in microcosms were identified, i.e. Ralstonia sp. P-10 and Pseudomonasputida. The first-order constant of TCE-degradation rate was 0.5 day(-1) for both Ralstonia sp. P-10 and P.putida. The TCE cometabolic-biodegradation efficiency measured from the slurry microcosms was 46%, which appeared pessimistic compared to over 90% observed from the in-situ pilot study. The difference in the TCE cometabolic-biodegradation efficiency was likely due to the reactor configurations and the effective time duration of toluene presence in laboratory microcosms (1 days) versus in-situ pilot study (3 days). The results of microcosm experiments using different toluene-injection schedules supported the hypothesis. With a given amount of toluene injection, it is recommended to maximize the effective time duration of toluene presence in reactor design for TCE cometabolic degradation.     

Anaerobic degradation of nonylphenol in subtropical mangrove sediments

Nonylphenol (NP) is known as an endocrine disruptor and has consequently drawn much environmental concern. We investigated the effects of various factors on the anaerobic degradation of NP and characterized the structures of microbial communities in mangrove sediments collected at five sites along the Tanshui River in northern Taiwan. NP anaerobic degradation rate constants (k(1)) and half-lives (t(1/2)) ranged from 0.008 to 0.0131/day and 53.3 to 86.6 days, respectively. The addition of NaCl (1%, 2%), zero-valent iron (10 g/L), humic acid (0.5 g/L), cellulose (0.96 mg/L), brij 30 (55 microM) and brij 35 (91 microM) enhanced NP anaerobic degradation. However, the addition of NaCl (3%), acetate (20mM), lactate (20mM), pyruvate (20mM), and humic acid (5 g/L) inhibited NP anaerobic degradation. Sulfate-reducing bacteria, methanogen, and eubacteria are involved in the degradation of NP, sulfate-reducing bacteria being a major component of the sediment. Our results also show that the addition of various substrates changed the microbial community in mangrove sediments. Also noted was the presence of 2-butyl-1-octanol, an intermediate product resulting from the anaerobic degradation of NP accumulated in the sediments.     

The effect of salinity conditions on kinetics of trichloroethylene biodegradation by toluene-oxidizing cultures

This study investigates the effect of salt (NaCl) conditions on the biodegradations of trichloroethylene (TCE) by mixed cultures enriched on toluene. Two cultures were separately cultivated in this investigation, involving culture LHTO4, cultivated with freshwater and culture HHTO4, cultivated with 3.5% (w/v) NaCl solution. Batch tests were conducted to elucidate the degradations of toluene, TCE and a mixture of toluene and TCE by cultures LHTO4 at salinities of 0, 2 and 3.5% and by HHTO4 at salinity of 3.5%. The measurements were analyzed with microbial kinetics. The results show that for culture LHTO4 in the resting cells, when the transient salinities increased from 0 to 3.5%, the maximum specific rate of TCE degradation, k(TCE), declined from 2.28 to 1.45 d(-1), and the observed TCE transformation capacity, T(c,obs), decreased from 0.060 to 0.036 mgTCE/mgVSS. In the presence of toluene, TCE degradation was more inhibited by toluene (inhibition coefficients, K(I,TOL) were 0.8, 2.2, and 0.96 mg/L for salinity 0, 2, and 3.5%, respectively) than toluene degradation was by TCE (K(I,TCE) were 14, 5.8, and 1000 mg/L for salinity 0, 2, and 3.5%, respectively). Under long-term salinity stress, the culture HHTO4 maintained its capacity to utilize toluene but lost its effectiveness in the cometabolic transformation of TCE: k(TCE) fell to 0.25 d(-1) and T(c,obs) dropped to 0.024 mgTCE/mgVSS. This work reveals that the degradation of TCE by toluene-oxidizing cultures under saline conditions can be best described by the chosen kinetic equations and experimentally estimated constants, which can thus be used to lay a foundation for the rational design of biological processes to remove TCE from saline solutions.     

Degradation of phenol and TCE using suspended and chitosan-bead immobilized Pseudomonas putida

The degradability of phenol and trichloroethene (TCE) by Pseudomonas putida BCRC 14349 in both suspended culture and immobilized culture systems are investigated. Chitosan beads at a size of about 1-2mm were employed to encapsulate the P. putida cells, becoming an immobilized culture system. The phenol concentration was controlled at 100 mg/L, and that of TCE was studied from 0.2 to 20 mg/L. The pH, between 6.7 and 10, did not affect the degradation of either phenol or TCE in the suspended culture system. However, it was found to be an important factor in the immobilized culture system in which the only significant degradation was observed at pH >8. This may be linked to the surface properties of the chitosan beads and its influence on the activity of the bacteria. The transfer yield of TCE on a phenol basis was almost the same for the suspended and immobilized cultures (0.032 mg TCE/mg phenol), except that these yields occurred at different TCE concentrations. The transfer yield at a higher TCE concentration for the immobilized system suggested that the cells immobilized in carriers can be protected from harsh environmental conditions. For kinetic rate interpretation, the Monod equation was employed to describe the degradation rates of phenol, while the Haldane's equation was used for TCE degradation. Based on the kinetic parameters obtained from the two equations, the rate for the immobilized culture systems was only about 1/6 to that of the suspended culture system for phenol degradation, and was about 1/2 for TCE degradation. The slower kinetics observed for the immobilized culture systems was probably due to the slow diffusion of substrate molecules into the beads. However, compared with the suspended cultures, the immobilized cultures may tolerate a higher TCE concentration as much less inhibition was observed and the transfer yield occurred at a higher TCE concentration.     

Mobilization and deposition of iron nano and sub-micrometer particles in porous media: a glass micromodel study

Mobilization and deposition of iron nano and sub-micrometer particles (INSMP) in a porous medium were investigated using a water-saturated glass micromodel. The deposition and detachment of INSMP in the micromodel were visualized by taking serial images and experimentally verified by analysis of breakthrough curves. This first visualization study of INSMP fate showed that there were dense aggregations at the pores as the concentration of INSMP increased. The presence of dissolved humic substances (>1 ppm) significantly reduced deposition of suspended particles and enhanced detachment of the deposited particles. The mobility of INSMP in the presence of Pahokee peat fulvic acid standard II (PPFA) was higher than for Pahokee peat humic acid standard I (PPHA) due to the presence of more aromatic groups and the molecular weight in PPFA. Interfacial energy estimation based on the DLVO theory revealed that the adsorption of humic substances onto the INSMP increased the energy barrier and reduced the depth of secondary minimum between particles. The “affinity transition” in the initial deposition of INSMP within the micromodel was observed in the presence of Pahokee peat humic substances.     

The influence of different soil constituents on the reaction kinetics of wet oxidation of the creosote compound quinoline

Creosote contaminated sites have become a widespread problem in industrialized countries. Recently, wet oxidation using high temperature, pressure, water and oxygen followed by activated sludge treatment proved to be an efficient method for removing a wide selection of creosote compounds in contaminated soils. Wet oxidation of the creosote compound quinoline was carried out in the presence of montmorillionite, quartz and humic acid. The products derived from wet oxidation were identified and treated biologically by activated sludge testing their biodegradability. The influence on the oxidation kinetics of quinoline during wet oxidation was pH dependent. Humic acid supported the oxidation of quinoline, whereas the addition of montmorillionite and quartz had either an inhibiting effect or led only to a slight increase in oxidation. In mixtures of soil constituents, especially at low contents of humic acid, the adsorption of quinoline on montmorillionite prevented oxidation at neutral pH. Thus, alkaline extraction of both quinoline and humic acid was needed for an efficient oxidation. A proposed reaction mechanism suggests that quinoline was oxidized by hydroxyl radicals formed during the oxidation of the humic acid. A wide selection of reaction products (mainly carboxylic acids, benzene and pyridine derivatives) derived from the wet oxidation of humic acid and quinoline. The reaction products from humic acid degradation had a rate limiting effect on the wet oxidation of quinoline leaving small residues of quinoline after the treatment. On the contrary, these reaction products also improved the biodegradation of products from the quinoline oxidation due to co-digestion of carboxylic acids. Therefore, the presence of soil components (mainly humic acid) improved the combined wet oxidation and biological activated sludge treatment of quinoline.     

Degradation of trichloroethylene by Fenton reaction in pyrite suspension

Degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by Fenton reaction in pyrite suspension was investigated in a closed batch system under various experimental conditions. TCE was oxidatively degraded by OH in the pyrite Fenton system and its degradation kinetics was significantly enhanced by the catalysis of pyrite to form OH by decomposing H(2)O(2). In contrast to an ordinary classic Fenton reaction showing a second-order kinetics, the oxidative degradation of TCE by the pyrite Fenton reaction was properly fitted by a pseudo-first-order rate law. Degradation kinetics of TCE in the pyrite Fenton reaction was significantly influenced by concentrations of pyrite and H(2)O(2) and initial suspension pH. Kinetic rate constant of TCE increased proportionally (0.0030 ± 0.0001-0.1910 ± 0.0078 min(-1)) as the pyrite concentration increased 0.21-12.82 g/L. TCE removal was more than 97%, once H(2)O(2) addition exceeded 125 mM at initial pH 3. The kinetic rate constant also increased (0.0160 ± 0.005-0.0516 ± 0.0029 min(-1)) as H(2)O(2) concentration increased 21-251 mM, however its increase showed a saturation pattern. The kinetic rate constant decreased (0.0516 ± 0.0029-0.0079 ± 0.0021 min(-1)) as initial suspension pH increased 3-11. We did not observe any significant effect of TCE concentration on the degradation kinetics of TCE in the pyrite Fenton reaction as TCE concentration increased.     

The mechanism and applicability of in situ oxidation of trichloroethylene with Fenton's reagent

Fenton's reagent is the result of reaction between hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and ferrous iron (Fe(2+)), producing the hydroxyl radical (-*OH). The hydroxyl radical is a strong oxidant capable of oxidizing various organic compounds. The mechanism of oxidizing trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater and soil slurries with Fenton's reagent and the feasibility of injecting Fenton's reagent into a sandy aquifer were examined with bench-scale soil column and batch experiment studies. Under batch experimental conditions and low pH values ( approximately 3), Fenton's reagent was able to oxidize 93-100% (by weight) of dissolved TCE in groundwater and 98-102% (by weight) of TCE in soil slurries. Hydrogen peroxide decomposed rapidly in the test soil medium in both batch and column experiments. Due to competition between H(2)O(2) and TCE for hydroxyl radicals in the aqueous solutions and soil slurries, the presence of TCE significantly decreased the degradation rate of H(2)O(2) and was preferentially degraded by hydroxyl radicals. In the batch experiments, Fenton's reagent was able to completely dechlorinate the aqueous-phase TCE with and without the presence of soil and no VOC intermediates or by-products were found in the oxidation process. In the soil column experiments, it was found that application of high concentrations of H(2)O(2) with addition of no Fe(2+) generated large quantities of gas in a short period of time, sparging about 70% of the dissolved TCE into the gaseous phase with little or no detectable oxidation taking place. Fenton's reagent completely oxidized the dissolved phase TCE in the soil column experiment when TCE and Fenton's regent were simultaneously fed into the column. The results of this study showed that the feasibility of injecting Fenton's reagent or H(2)O(2) as a Fenton-type oxidant into the subsurface is highly dependent on the soil oxidant demand (SOD), presence of sufficient quantities of ferrous iron in the application area, and the proximity of the injection area to the zone of high aqueous concentration of the target contaminant. Also, it was found that in situ application of H(2)O(2) could have a gas-sparging effect on the dissolved VOC in groundwater, requiring careful attention to the remedial system design.     

Force analysis and visualization of NAPL removal during surfactant-related floods in a porous medium

Governing mechanisms of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) removal during surfactant and surfactant-foam (SF) flooding were studied by porous-patterned glass model experiments. Physical forces, viscous forces and capillary forces, acting on trichloroethylene (TCE) blobs were quantified to understand DNAPL removal mechanisms during the floods, simultaneously visualizing the removal mechanisms. The viscous force of the remedial fluid was intimately related to TCE removal from the porous medium. The remedial fluid with a high viscous force displaced more TCE blobs. Displacement of residual TCE by the remedial fluid began as viscous pressure of flooding was closed to the capillary pressure of the porous medium. In the region of viscous pressure less than the capillary pressure, residual TCE was either retained or solubilized, not displaced, implying that TCE solubilization was the dominant TCE removal process. Glass porous model visualization validated a dominance of the capillary forces during a surfactant flush and a dominance of the viscous forces of the displacing fluid during a SF flood.     

Effect of persulfate on the oxidation of benzotriazole and humic acid by e-beam irradiation

These days, the use of persulfate in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has gained more attention as an emerging clean and efficient technology to degrade the organic pollutants. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the addition of persulfate on the oxidation of benzotriazole (BT) and humic acids (HAs) by irradiation. The degradation of BT (3.7 μM) was followed under the influence of persulfate addition (200-500 μM) in combination with a fixed radiation dose (15 Gy) in the absence and presence of HA (5 and 20mg/L) in deionized water. The main results obtained in this study on the degradation of BT in the presence of HA showed a different effect of S(2)O(8)(2-) addition during irradiation, depending on whether HA are oxidized or not-oxidized. (1) An inhibitory effect of S(2)O(8)(2-) was observed in the presence of non-oxidized HA. (2) The removal of BT was generally more important during irradiation in the presence of S(2)O(8)(2-) when HA is pre-oxidized. This could be explained by the different structures of humic acids. These differences of structures of HA were identified by physico-chemical parameters such as the absorbance in the UV (254 nm), the fluorescence and the SUVA measurement.     

Effects of ferrous ions on the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene by zero-valent iron

The surface characteristics of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and the efficiency of reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the presence of ferrous ions were studied. The experimental results indicated that the acid-washing of a metallic iron sample enhanced the efficiency of TCE degradation by ZVI. This occurred because acid-washing changed the conformation of oxides on the surface of iron from maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) to the more hydrated goethite (alpha-FeOOH), as was confirmed by XPS analysis. However, when ferrous ions were simultaneous with TCE in water, the TCE degradation rate decreased as the concentration of ferrous ion increased. This was due to the formation of passive precipitates of ferrous hydroxide, including maghemite and magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)), that coated on the surface of acid-washed ZVI, which as a result inhibited the electron transfer and catalytic hydrogenation mechanisms. On the other hand, in an Fe(0)-TCE system without the acid-washing pretreatment of ZVI, ferrous ions were adsorbed into the maghemite lattice which was then converted to semiconductive magnetite. Thus, the electrons were transferred from the iron surface and passed through the precipitates, allowing for the reductive dechlorination of TCE.     

Radiation-induced reduction of diuron by gamma-ray irradiation

Diuron degradation efficiencies and the proposed mechanism by gamma-ray irradiation were investigated. Several factors that might affect the degradation values were further examined. The UV absorbances at 200-400 nm and diuron concentration decreased with the increase of radiation dose. When diuron initial concentration was 18.5 mg L(-1) and 1.0 kGy was selected as the radiation dose, diuron removal value and loss of total organic carbon were 100 and 34.1%, respectively. However, the concentration of Cl- ion increased with the increase of radiation dose. The process could be depicted by first order reaction kinetics and the reaction was mainly caused by the reaction of diuron with .OH and eaq-. The degradation efficiency decreased with the increase of initial concentration at the same radiation dose. H2O2, HCO3-, NO3-, NO2-, CH3OH and humic acid as additives reduced the degradation efficiency. Furthermore, the increase of NO3-, NO2-, CH3OH and humic acid would result in the decrease of the degradation values. The pH value could affect the removal efficiency and the degradation process was enhanced in acid condition. The pH value became lower with increasing radiation dose after gamma-ray irradiation.     

In situ reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in high nitrate groundwater

In situ bioremediation using carbohydrate was evaluated as an in situ treatment alternative for trichloroethene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) in groundwater containing high nitrate concentrations. Upon addition of carbohydrate to groundwater, sequential reduction of electron acceptors was observed, where nitrate was reduced early in the pilot test, followed by sulfate and TCE. Reduction of cDCE to vinyl chloride and ethene occurred in conjunction with increased iron and manganese, and increased methane concentrations, approximately 7 months into the evaluation period, following depletion of nitrate and sulfate. TCE, cDCE, and vinyl chloride concentrations decreased from approximately 500 to >10 microg/L within 21 months of operation.     

Photo degradation of methyl orange an azo dye by advanced Fenton process using zero valent metallic iron: influence of various reaction parameters and its degradation mechanism

Advanced Fenton process (AFP) using zero valent metallic iron (ZVMI) is studied as a potential technique to degrade the azo dye in the aqueous medium. The influence of various reaction parameters like effect of iron dosage, concentration of H(2)O(2)/ammonium per sulfate (APS), initial dye concentration, effect of pH and the influence of radical scavenger are studied and optimum conditions are reported. The degradation rate decreased at higher iron dosages and also at higher oxidant concentrations due to the surface precipitation which deactivates the iron surface. The rate constant for the processes Fe(0)/UV and Fe(0)/APS/UV is twice compared to their respective Fe(0)/dark and Fe(0)/APS/dark processes. The rate constant for Fe(0)/H(2)O(2)/UV process is four times higher than Fe(0)/H(2)O(2)/dark process. The increase in the efficiency of Fe(0)/UV process is attributed to the cleavage of stable iron complexes which produces Fe(2+) ions that participates in cyclic Fenton mechanism for the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The increase in the efficiency of Fe(0)/APS/UV or H(2)O(2) compared to dark process is due to continuous generation of hydroxyl radicals and also due to the frequent photo reduction of Fe(3+) ions to Fe(2+) ions. Though H(2)O(2) is a better oxidant than APS in all respects, but it is more susceptible to deactivation by hydroxyl radical scavengers. The decrease in the rate constant in the presence of hydroxyl radical scavenger is more for H(2)O(2) than APS. Iron powder retains its recycling efficiency better in the presence of H(2)O(2) than APS. The decrease in the degradation rate in the presence of APS as an oxidant is due to the fact that generation of free radicals on iron surface is slower compared to H(2)O(2). Also, the excess acidity provided by APS retards the degradation rate as excess H(+) ions acts as hydroxyl radical scavenger. The degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) using Fe(0) is an acid driven process shows higher efficiency at pH 3. The efficiency of various processes for the de colorization of MO dye is of the following order: Fe(0)/H(2)O(2)/UV>Fe(0)/H(2)O(2)/dark>Fe(0)/APS/UV>Fe(0)/UV>Fe(0)/APS/dark>H(2)O(2)/UV approximately Fe(0)/dark>APS/UV. Dye resisted to degradation in the presence of oxidizing agent in dark. The degradation process was followed by UV-vis and GC-MS spectroscopic techniques. Based on the intermediates obtained probable degradation mechanism has been proposed. The result suggests that complete degradation of the dye was achieved in the presence of oxidizing agent when the system was amended with iron powder under UV light illumination. The concentration of Fe(2+) ions leached at the end of the optimized degradation experiment is found to be 2.78 x 10(-3)M. With optimization, the degradation using Fe(0) can be effective way to treat azo dyes in aqueous solution.