Method for the degradation of dibutyl phthalate in water by gamma-ray irradiation

The degradation and mineralization of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), one of endocrine disruptors, by γ-ray irradiation were demonstrated. The degradation was enhanced by the effective energy conversion of γ-rays to low-energy electrons and photons with the assistance of the interactions between γ-rays and metals, which is especially in the case of high Z materials effective. Numerical simulations using EGS code supported the experimental results. Improvements of the energy conversion process are also suggested by controlling the shape of the metal and its spatial configuration in the DBP solution. (author)