Using the pulse radiolysis technique, SO.- 3 was produced in aqueous solution by the reaction of SO2- 3 with either .OH or the (pseudo-) halide radicals N. 3, Br.- 3, and (SCN).- 2; for the latter reactions rate constants were measured. The reaction of SO.- 3 with linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids was monitored using the strong absorption of the pentadienyl radical, one possible primary reaction product. In micellar systems no detectable reaction took place, however, monomeric fatty acids were observed to react with SO.- 3. Lower limits of the rate constants for SO.- 3 attack derived from the data are 1 × 105, 8 × 105, and 1.3 × 106 (dm3 mol-1 s-1) for linoleate, linolenate, and arachidonate, respectively.