The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Study of the leaching of pentachlorophenol from treated utility poles
Author:	Zhang, Jingyi
View Online:	njit-etd1994-148 (ix, 39 pages ~ 1.4 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Kebbekus, Barbara B. (Committee chair) Mitra, S. (Committee member) McKenna, Gerard F. (Committee member)
Date:	1994-01
Keywords:	Leaching Wood preservatives -- Environmental aspects Pentachlorophenol -- Environmental aspects
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Pentachlorophenol ( PCP ) has been used as a preservative in wood industry over 40 years. If new regulations are passed, the disposal of used treated utility poles in landfills could be restricted because of the toxic properties of PCP. This study was undertaken to provide a better understanding of the rates and mechanisms of leaching of PCP from these poles. Following the initial analytical method development for PCP determination, a study was done to apply and validate the method in a leaching characteristics study of PCP from Douglas Fir and Southern Pine. The major factors which influence the leaching rate of PCP from wood were tested under laboratory conditions. The results show that pH is the most important among these factors. The leaching rate of PCP decreases linearly up to pH 5 then decreases in exponentially between pH 7 - pH 9. Increasing the temperature, volume or decreasing the ionic strength of leaching solution also increases the leaching rate of PCP from wood.