Oxidation of the nitroaromatic explosives namely, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (PA), ammonium picrate (AP), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by Fenton's reagent has been investigated in this study. The initial concentrations of nitroaromatics were in the range of 1.0 x 10(-5) to 3.0 x 10(-4) M. For the Fenton oxidation of the four nitroaromatics, the structural characteristic is the major factor affecting the decomposition rate rather than the interference effect coming from the oxidation intermediates. Oxidation rate of the explosives in the Fenton process were in the following sequence: DNT > PA > AP > TNT. The results were in good agreement with kinetic model, assuming the pseudo-steady-state hypothesis of hydroxyl radical formed by the Fenton reaction. Thus, a half-life prediction model was proposed and compared with the half-lives calculated from pseudo-first-order equation to prove the interference effect resulted from the oxidation intermediates. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.