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Industrial wastewaters containing 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), a widely used chemical additive, usually cannot be treated properly by conventional biological methods, thus cause an environmental risk. Ionizing radiation was proposed as a method for abatement of several refractory pollutants from water. The paper investigated MBT degradation using irradiation technology. The decomposition kinetics was described, and the transformation and the change of biodegradability were discussed. The results of gamma radiation experiments on MBT-containing aqueous solutions indicated that reactive radicals resulting from water radiolysis effectively degrade MBT and improve the biodegradability of the solutions. At a 20 mg/L MBT concentration, the removal of 82% was achieved at the absorbed dose of 1.2 kGy. The results of specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) test showed that MBT was decomposed into biodegradable products, after irradiation at 20 kGy. Radicals attacked the sulfur atoms of the studied molecule leading to the release of sulfate ions, but the mineralization of organic carbons was rather weak. Initial concentration significantly affected the degradation efficacy of MBT by gamma radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]