We have wastewater from two workshops; it turns red when they mix. Please discuss this
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We have two workshops: one for phenol production and the other for chlorobenzene production. After the two types of wastewater are mixed together, the color becomes red. Please share your approach to finding out the cause of this
In ‘Organic Chemistry’, look under the category of functional groups that cause color changes; I remember that if there are phenolic groups (hydroxyl groups) on the benzene ring, it turns red. Based on what the poster has described, it is likely due to a reaction between chlorobenzene and phenol; the addition of a hydroxyl group to the benzene ring results in a red color. The above is for reference only.
Is it not similar to phenol being oxidized by chlorine to form quinone compounds?
Observe whether PH has an effect on the color. It is possible that phenols may be oxidized to quinones, but quinones usually result in a darker color. Phenols can cause color changes either by adding hydroxyl groups or by removing them.
The two substances have reacted with each other; we can take one sample of each type of wastewater and test them to determine what is causing the problem. It seems like I’ve forgotten some of the things I learned in organic chemistry – I can’t recall them
In short, several substances react with each other; sometimes it’s not just the substance you produce that is present in the wastewater, but also various by-products.
My reasoning is as follows: 1. It could be interference from inorganic iron; 2. it could also be organic coloring groups. For a detailed analysis, if the problem lies with coloring groups in both water bodies, it’s difficult to determine the cause since the samples get diluted when mixed. As for iron interference, the appearance of color indicates that the pH value has changed. We need to test the following parameters for each water body: 1. pH, 2. iron content, 3. TOC, 4. liquid chromatography. Ultimately, it seems that the mixing of the water bodies causes a change in the pH value, leading to the precipitation of iron hydroxide. Thank you all for your participation