Electrochemical Generation of Hydroxide and Hydrogen Peroxide for Hydrolysis of Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigant.

The post-harvest fumigant, sulfuryl fluoride (SOF), is a >1000-fold more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and methane. Pilot studies have shown that SOF fumes vented from fumigation chambers can be captured and hydrolyzed by hydroxide (OH) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) at pH ∼ 12 in a scrubber, producing SO and F as waste salts. To reduce the costs and challenges associated with purchasing and mixing these reagents onsite, this study evaluates the electrochemical generation of OH and HO within spent scrubbing solution, taking advantage of the waste SO and F as free sources of electrolyte.