142
K. M. G. Mostofa et al.
by nocturnal cooling in the upper ocean and can transport significant amounts of
H 2 O 2 to deep waters (Johnson et al. 1989; Sarthou et al. 1997; Scully and Vincent
1997; Yuan and Shiller 2001). (viii) H 2 O 2 is thought to play an important role in
the occurrence of photosynthesis in higher plants (Komissarov 1994, 1995; 2003)
and in natural waters (Mostofa et al. 2009a, b), by which effect it can induce the
production of autochthonous DOM in the aqueous environment. (ix) H 2 O 2 can
react with CO 2 under irradiation to produce various organic substances in aqueous
solution (Lobanov et al. 2004), with a potentially significant role in biogeochemical processes in natural waters. (x) H 2 O 2 plays an important role in controlling
the physiology of plants, including the activity of some enzymes and the photophosphorylation and photorespiration rates; it is also responsible for fungitoxicity of the leaf surface (Lobanov et al. 2008). (xi) H 2 O 2 is generated inside cells
by peroxisomes and mitochondria; the formation of H 2 O 2 is caused by the reduction of O 2 absorbed in intracellular fluid during the photorespiration (Komissarov
2003; Lobanov et al. 2008). (xii) H 2 O 2 acts as an oxidant in the conversion of SO 2
to SO 4
2− in rainwater, thereby contributing to the acid rain phenomenon that is
a harmful threat which damages plant tissues and contributes to forest decline
worldwide (Calvert et al. 1985; Sakugawa et al. 1990, 1993). (xiii) The environmental concentration of H 2 O 2 is influenced by algae, which simultaneously cause
its decay and induce its photoinduced production by exposure of algal suspensions
to sunlight (Zepp et al. 1987). (xiv) The photoinduced generation of H 2 O 2 from
algal suspensions plays a key role in the oxidation of anilines; the latter are able to
decrease H 2 O 2 production, possibly by consuming it on the surface of algal cells
(Zepp et al. 1987; Zepp and Schlotzhauer 1983). (xv) Elevated levels of H 2 O 2
induce damage and cell lysis in microorganisms (Gonzalez-Flecha and Demple
1997; Weinbauer and Suttle 1999); H 2 O 2 is also implicated as a cause of mortality of fecal indicator bacteria in marine sewage fields (Mitchell and Chamberlin
1975; Clark et al. 2008). (xvi) Bioelectrochemical oxidation of wastewater organic
matter can effectively produce H 2 O 2 on an industrial scale, with an overall 83 %
efficiency that could be useful for industrial purposes (Rozendal et al. 2009). (xvii)
H 2 O 2 produced from DOM may contribute approximately 1–50 % of hydroxyl
radical (HO
• ), a strong oxidizing agent, which is responsible for indirect photoinduced changes in the DOM components in natural waters (Mostofa and Sakugawa
2009; Takeda et al. 2004; Nakatani et al. 2007; Page et al. 2011).
1.2 Organic Peroxides (ROOH) and Their Biogeochemical
Functions
Organic peroxides (ROOH) are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group (–O–O–), and may be considered as derivatives of hydrogen peroxide (H–O–O–H) where one or both of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by
organic radicals. Organic peroxides can commonly be denoted as ROOH, where
K. M. G. Mostofa et al.
by nocturnal cooling in the upper ocean and can transport significant amounts of
H 2 O 2 to deep waters (Johnson et al. 1989; Sarthou et al. 1997; Scully and Vincent
1997; Yuan and Shiller 2001). (viii) H 2 O 2 is thought to play an important role in
the occurrence of photosynthesis in higher plants (Komissarov 1994, 1995; 2003)
and in natural waters (Mostofa et al. 2009a, b), by which effect it can induce the
production of autochthonous DOM in the aqueous environment. (ix) H 2 O 2 can
react with CO 2 under irradiation to produce various organic substances in aqueous
solution (Lobanov et al. 2004), with a potentially significant role in biogeochemical processes in natural waters. (x) H 2 O 2 plays an important role in controlling
the physiology of plants, including the activity of some enzymes and the photophosphorylation and photorespiration rates; it is also responsible for fungitoxicity of the leaf surface (Lobanov et al. 2008). (xi) H 2 O 2 is generated inside cells
by peroxisomes and mitochondria; the formation of H 2 O 2 is caused by the reduction of O 2 absorbed in intracellular fluid during the photorespiration (Komissarov
2003; Lobanov et al. 2008). (xii) H 2 O 2 acts as an oxidant in the conversion of SO 2
to SO 4
2− in rainwater, thereby contributing to the acid rain phenomenon that is
a harmful threat which damages plant tissues and contributes to forest decline
worldwide (Calvert et al. 1985; Sakugawa et al. 1990, 1993). (xiii) The environmental concentration of H 2 O 2 is influenced by algae, which simultaneously cause
its decay and induce its photoinduced production by exposure of algal suspensions
to sunlight (Zepp et al. 1987). (xiv) The photoinduced generation of H 2 O 2 from
algal suspensions plays a key role in the oxidation of anilines; the latter are able to
decrease H 2 O 2 production, possibly by consuming it on the surface of algal cells
(Zepp et al. 1987; Zepp and Schlotzhauer 1983). (xv) Elevated levels of H 2 O 2
induce damage and cell lysis in microorganisms (Gonzalez-Flecha and Demple
1997; Weinbauer and Suttle 1999); H 2 O 2 is also implicated as a cause of mortality of fecal indicator bacteria in marine sewage fields (Mitchell and Chamberlin
1975; Clark et al. 2008). (xvi) Bioelectrochemical oxidation of wastewater organic
matter can effectively produce H 2 O 2 on an industrial scale, with an overall 83 %
efficiency that could be useful for industrial purposes (Rozendal et al. 2009). (xvii)
H 2 O 2 produced from DOM may contribute approximately 1–50 % of hydroxyl
radical (HO
• ), a strong oxidizing agent, which is responsible for indirect photoinduced changes in the DOM components in natural waters (Mostofa and Sakugawa
2009; Takeda et al. 2004; Nakatani et al. 2007; Page et al. 2011).
1.2 Organic Peroxides (ROOH) and Their Biogeochemical
Functions
Organic peroxides (ROOH) are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group (–O–O–), and may be considered as derivatives of hydrogen peroxide (H–O–O–H) where one or both of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by
organic radicals. Organic peroxides can commonly be denoted as ROOH, where