Ultrasonic destruction of phenol and substituted phenols: a review of current research

Abstract

Phenol and some of its derivatives such as chlorophenol and nitrophenol have received considerable attention from environmental scientists and engineers, due to their undesirable effects in the water environment, where they end up as a result of improper disposal methods. As a consequence, research has been conducted all around the world with the common goal of reducing their concentrations to allowable limits or converting them to non-toxic, non-hazardous forms that may easily be handled by natural decay processes. Some of this research has focused on ultrasonic techniques, which currently appears to present a convenient but as yet unproven method for large scale water remediation. The goal of this study is to identify and review some of these studies that are directly related with the use of ultrasound in decontaminating effluents with phenol residuals and to summarize the main points of interest and problems encountered.