Sonochemical degradation of p-chlorophenol, bisphenol A and p-n-octylphenol was performed, while it was compared with electrolytic degradation. Under the condition where the sonolysis of p-chlorophenol was almost the same rate as the electrolysis, bisphenol A was decomposed much faster by the sonolysis, in contrast to the faster degradation of p-n-octylphenol by the electrolysis. The ultrasound was irradiated with a concave transducer at 500 kHz and 25℃ liquid temperature under argon. The preliminary experiments clarified that in our ultrasonic irradiation system the degradation rate of p-chlorophenol at 500 kHz was slightly faster than that at 250 kHz. The rates were faster in the following order of ambient gas: air, oxygen and argon. The rate in 25℃ solution was faster than that in 5℃ solution. The electrolysis was performed using platinum electrodes for both anode and cathode at the constant current of 10 mA. The rate of electrolysis increased with the current as expected. On the other hand, sonochemical reactions depend on many experimental parameters. Therefore, the obtained order of the degradation rates between the sonolysis and electrolysis should not be always valid. The molecular approach to the degradation mechanism should resolve the complexity of our results.
