Formation of polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs) by the photolyses of polychlorobenzenes (PCBzs) in aqueous acetonitrile containing phenols

Abstract Laboratory irradiation (at λ ⩾ 285 nm) of solutions of some polychlorobenzenes (PCBzs) in various mixtures of H 2 O: CH 3 CN in the presence of phenol yielded polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) containing 2 Cl atoms less than the starting PCBz. The chemical yields of PCDFs were ⩽ 1%. It was confirmed that the photoconversion of PCBzs and phenol into PCDFs proceeded through the intermediacy of polychlorinated diphenyl ethers possessing o -Cl substituents.