Abstract
The photodegradation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Coplanar-PCBs) was studied during a period of Soxhlet extraction with toluene under a fluorescent light. The photodegradation of PCDFs occurred remarkably under the condition of lighting-intensity of more than 1000 lx, but not occurred under the 600 lx. The main cause of degradation was an irradiation of ultraviolet ray emitted from a fluorescent light, involving the wavelengths of 313 nm and 365 nm. It was also found that the heating is another factor, which makes or promotes the degradation of PCDFs. These results mean that PCDFs are easy to degrade during a period of Soxhlet extraction with toluene under the laboratory light condition of a weak UV-intensity (ex. 5-10μW/cm2) .
