Hydrogen Peroxide Applications at End Use IndustriesĮnvironmental Applications of Hydrogen Peroxide This is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) - a powerful yet versatile oxidant that is both safe and effective. In today's environment, where merely transferring contaminants from one medium to another is no longer acceptable, it is no surprise that a powerful oxidizer like hydrogen peroxide that looks like water - in its appearance, chemical formula and reaction products - should be so widely used. This is Hydrogen PeroxideĪs simple as it may seem, the treatment of contaminated waters is as diverse and complicated as the operations from which it comes. in drum, tote, mini-bulk, and bulk quantities in concentrations of 35% or 50% by weight. Today, hydrogen peroxide is readily available throughout the U.S. Its use for pollution control parallels those of the movement itself - municipal wastewater applications in the 1970's industrial waste/wastewater applications in the 1980's and more recently, air applications in the 1990's. In addition to pollution control, hydrogen peroxide is used to bleach textiles and paper products, and to manufacture or process foods, minerals, petrochemicals, and consumer products (detergents). Since it was first commercialized in the 1800's, hydrogen peroxide production has now grown to over a billion pounds per year (as 100%). By simply adjusting the conditions of the reaction (e.g., pH, temperature, dose, reaction time, and/or catalyst addition), H2O2 can often be made to oxidize one pollutant over another, or even to favor different oxidation products from the same pollutant. The reason why hydrogen peroxide can be used for such diverse applications is the different ways in which its power can be directed - termed selectivity. Similarly, it can treat both easy-to-oxidize pollutants (iron and sulfides) and difficult to oxidize pollutants (solvents, gasolines and pesticides). For example, it can inhibit microbial growth (as in the biofouling of water circuits) and encourage microbial growth (as in the bioremediation of contaminated groundwaters and soils). The fact that hydrogen peroxide is used for seemingly converse applications proves its versatility. Industrial strength H2O2 is a strong oxidizer and as such requires special handling precautions. And since H2O2 is totally miscible with water, the issue of safety is one of concentration. Consequently, H2O2 has none of the problems of gaseous release or chemical residues that are associated with other chemical oxidants. H2O2 is also formed by the action of sunlight on water - a natural purification system for our environment. Oxidantĭespite its power, H2O2 is a natural metabolite of many organisms, which decompose the H2O2 they produce into oxygen and water. And through catalysis, H2O2 can be converted into hydroxyl radicals (.OH) with reactivity second only to fluorine. Hydrogen Peroxide is one of the most powerful oxidizers known - stronger than chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and potassium permanganate.
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