Inha University research team identifies peracetic acid decomposition process of quinone, a tire toxic substance

Inha University announced on the 10th that Ayoung Choi (Ph.D. candidate) in the laboratory of Professor Han Chang-seok of the Department of Environmental Engineering discovered the self-decomposition process of quinone (6PPD-Q), a toxic pollutant emitted from automobile tires.

Quinone is a highly toxic, non-degradable pollutant created when antioxidants (6PPD) used in tires react with ozone, and has recently been detected in the aquatic environment.

Student Ayoung Choi confirmed that quinone continues to decompose in the presence of peracetic acid (PAA), which has strong oxidizing power, and that the decomposition rate increases as the concentration of peracetic acid increases.

In general, it is known that an external activation process such as ultraviolet rays (UV) or a metal catalyst is necessary to increase the utilization of the oxidizing power of peracetic acid, but it was discovered that at high concentrations, quinone is effectively decomposed regardless of the presence or absence of ultraviolet rays.

The results of this study were published in 'Environmental Chemistry Letters', an international academic journal in the field of environmental chemistry.