Kinetics of nitromusk compounds degradation in water by ultraviolet radiation and hydrogen peroxide.

The photodegradation of five representative nitromusk compounds in water has been performed in a stirred batch photoreactor with a UV low-pressure immersed mercury lamp, at constant temperature and different doses of hydrogen peroxide. The rate constants have been calculated on the basis of experimental data and a postulated first-order kinetic model. The rate constants, at 298 K and a dose of 1.1746 micromol l(-1) H2O2 ranges from 0.3567 x 10(-3) s(-1) for musk tibetene, to 1.785 x 10(-3) s(-1) for musk ambrette.