Abstract: This article introduces degradation characteristics and mechanisms of electron beam irradiation in the treatment of organic pollutants. These include phthalate esters and steroid estrogens, antibiotics drugs and its intermediate such as choramphenicols and Dphenylglycin, and clopyralid in pesticides and halobenzenes. The results indicate that electron beam irradiation is an effective method to degrade these kinds of persistent organic pollutants. Hydroxyl radicals and hydrated electrons have great importance in the process of radiolytic degradation. Hydroxyl radicals attack aromatic ring of these organic pollutants leading to the fracture of benzene ring, and form a series of micromolecular byproducts, while hydrated electrons can effectively remove halogen of organic pollutants. Organic pollutants are then completely mineralized when absorbed dose is high enough.

Key words: degradation, electron beam irradiation, persistent organic pollutant