Reaction of Supercritical Water (SW) (without added oxidant) with various organic compounds containing heteroatoms has been investigated to determine if, and under what conditions, SW may aid in the removal of those atoms leading to less hazardous and possibly commercially useful products, The reactions of interest were those of SW with components of BZ (a chemical warfare agent), sulfur and nitro compounds, The benzilate component of BZ was converted in yields as high as 80% to diphenyl species (e.g., methane, ketone, or carbinol) at 400 degrees C; but at 500 degrees C and when ZnCl2 was used as a catalyst the major products were benzene and toluene in yields up to 50%, The quinuclidine component of BZ was effectively destroyed using ZnCl2 but gave poor yields of useful products. The SW-nitrotoluene reaction produced mostly char and tar; however, when NH3 and/or dihydroanthracene were added the char/tar formation was greatly reduced while aniline and toluidine became the major products, with combined yields up to 70%, The dinitrotoluene reacted completely to char, tar, and gaseous species, no volatile condensed products were formed. The detectable products from the benzyl sulfide-SW reaction were all hydrocarbons, primarily toluene and benzene, whereas dry pyrolysis produced much less benzene and about 18% substituted thiophenes, which are very difficult to react further, as shown by our results from the thianaphthene-SW reaction.