The intermediate product resulting from the radical degradation experiment of PCE and the atomic charge gained through Gaussian03W were compared against each other. The result was that the ratio of PCE radical degradation was almost 98% or higher after the 9 hr point in reaction time. The reaction speed constant was 0.16 hr-1 and it followed the first reaction. We could see that at each location of the PCE molecule, dechlorination happened at a point where the negative atomic charge was the greatest. Moreover, the intermediate product of PCE radical degradation that was confirmed in the experiment and literature coincided exactly with the intermediate product in the atomic charge calculation. Therefore, when the atomic charge is calculated, the radical degradation pathway of the organic chlorine compound could be forecast.

• Byung-Dae Lee Corresponding author