The decay kinetics of hydrated electron (e aq -) formed upon photolysis of aqueous solutions of sodium pyrene 1,3,6,8 tetrasulfonate at λ = 337 nm in the presence of phosphate anions (up to 2 mol L -1 ) was studied by nanosecond laser pulse photolysis in a wide range of pH (3.5-10) and ionic strength (I, up to 2 mol L -1 ) values. At high pH values, where the HPO 4 2-ions dominate, the e aq -decay kinetics depends only slightly on phosphate concentra tion (rate constant for the reaction is at most 2•10 5 L mol -1 s -1 ). The H 2 PO 4 -ions react with e aq -at a rate constant of 2.8•10 6 L mol -1 s -1 (I = 0), which increases linearly with the parameter exp( /(1 + ) in accordance with the Debye-Hückel theory. The rate constant for quenching of e aq -by H 3 PO 4 at pH ≤ 4 decreases linearly with the parameter exp( /(1 + ) due to the secondary salt effect and equals 1.6•10 9 L mol -1 s -1 at I = 0. The logarithm of the rate constant for quenching of e aq -by phosphates is linearly related to the number of the O-H bonds in the phosphate molecule.Key words: laser flash photolysis, hydrated electron, phosphate anions, kinetics, quench ing, salt effect.The kinetics and mechanisms of hydrated electron (e aq -) reactions with phosphate anions have been a sub ject of scientific research for more than four decades. The reactions can serve models in the studies of (i) mecha nisms of hydrated electron interactions with phosphate containing organic (including biologically important) sub stances and (ii) phosphorylation processes. 1-3 A great impetus to these investigations came from the fact of generation of H atoms in the reactions of e aq -with H 2 PO 4 -anions in aqueous media. 1,3,4 Earlier experi ments showed that radiolysis or photolysis of water with high energy UV radiation is accompanied by generation of H atoms as a result of the interaction of e aq -with protons of the medium or with the Brønsted acids, namely, e aq -+ HX → HX -→ H + X, where HX is a protic acid. 1,4-6 In this connection, orthophosphates are of par ticular interest, because they are substrates of many bio chemical reactions and can act as sources of H atoms at pH values similar to the physiological one (pH 7). The rate constants (k q ) for reactions of e aq -with phos phate anions and H 3 PO 4 were measured using pulsed ra diolysis and photolysis techniques. The rate constants, k q , for the H 2 PO 4 -reactions with e aq -in aqueous media vary in the range 3.1•10 6 -1.9•10 7 L mol -1 s - 1 . 3,4,7-12 The k q value reported 9 for the reaction of HPO 4 2-is relatively low (k q = 1.4•10 5 L mol -1 s -1 ). The fastest reaction oc curs between e aq -and H 3 PO 4 (k q = 1•10 9 L mol -1 s -1 ). 10Thus, successive addition of protons to the HPO 4 2-anion is accompanied by an increase in the k q value by two orders of magnitude. It was assumed 4-6 that the interaction of e aq -with phosphates produces H atoms.WThe generation and consumption of H atoms upon pulsed radiolysis and photolysis of aqueous solutions at λ < 200 nm can follow a number of channels inv...