Assessment of green tea reductive degradation of halogenated solvents.

Green tea (GT) leaves can be brewed into a solution rich in polyphenols that serve as effective reducing agents, and the complexes formed by combining green tea with ferrous ion (GT/Fe(II)) can provide an elevated reduction potential. The dissociated GT polyphenols at alkaline pH can dramatically increase the formation of GT/Fe(II) complexes. This experimental work evaluated the reductive reactivity of alkaline GT solution and GT/Fe(II) complexes (at pH 10) on 14 halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Electrocoagulation of tetrafluoroborate (BF) and the derived boron and fluorine using aluminum electrodes.

Tetrafluoroborate anion (BF) is found in the streams of flue-gas desulfurization and borosilicate glasses etching which deteriorates water quality through slow hydrolysis into boric acid and fluoride. Decomposition and electrocoagulation (EC) of BF were studied using metallic aluminum as the sacrificial electrode. The dissolved Al(III) from the anode could efficiently decompose BF in forms of fluoroaluminate complexes, and the derived boric acid and fluoride ion were removed by sweep flocculation.