Process for treatment of aqueous environments containing a water soluble polymer

This invention relates generally to a process for treating an aqueous environment comprising a polymer or a material comprising at least one polymer. In particular, the invention provides a process that is capable of accelerating the degradation of solubilized polymer into environmentally benign products and also substantially prevents the subsequent precipitation and solidification of solubilized polymer from an aqueous environment. A process wherein the use of a degradation-enhancing reactant or a precursor thereof, e.g., an oxidizing agent, can effectively increase the rate of reaction for the degradation of polymers in an aqueous environment and thereby facilitate the disposal of same. For example, in one aspect, the process comprises contacting a solubilized polymer and a degradation-enhancing reactant, within an aqueous environment, and subsequently reacting the polymer under conditions that are effective to provide at least one environmentally benign degradation product from the polymer.