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Photodegradation of 4-tert octylphenol in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III)

  • Use of iron and other transition metals in environmental remediation processes
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Abstract

4-Tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), a kind of endocrine-disrupting compounds, is widely distributed in natural water surroundings but can hardly be biodegraded. The advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been proved to be an efficient method to degrade 4-t-OP. In this study, the photodegradation of 4-t-OP in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III) and the photooxidation mechanism were investigated. The ferric perchlorate was added into the aqueous solution for the production of hydroxyl radical. The efficiency of mineralization was monitored by total organic carbon analyzer, and photooxidation products were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer. 4-t-OP (2.4 × 10−5 M) in aqueous solution was completely degraded after 45 min in the presence of Fe(III) (1.2 × 10−3 M) under UV irradiation (λ = 365 nm). The optimal pH was 3.5. Higher Fe(III) concentration or lower initial 4-t-OP concentration led to increased photodegradation efficiency of 4-t-OP. The reaction was almost completely inhibited in the presence of 2-propanol. About 70 % mineralization of the solution was obtained after 50 h. The photooxidation product was supposed to be 4-tert-octyl catechol. 4-t-OP in aqueous solution can be degraded in the presence of Fe(III) under the solar irradiation. The photoinduced degradation is due to the reaction with hydroxyl radicals. It shows that the 4-t-OP is mineralized by the inducement of Fe(III) aquacomplexes, which exposes to solar light. Therefore, the results would provide useful information for the potential application of the AOPs to remove 4-t-OP in water surroundings.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 21077027) and Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (RFDP 200802460006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Yanlin Wu, Haixia Yuan, Hongjing Li & Wenbo Dong

  2. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Guanran Wei

  3. Department of Light Source and Illumination Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Shanduan Zhang

Authors
  1. Yanlin Wu
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  2. Haixia Yuan
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  3. Guanran Wei
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  4. Shanduan Zhang
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  5. Hongjing Li
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  6. Wenbo Dong
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hongjing Li or Wenbo Dong.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Wu, Y., Yuan, H., Wei, G. et al. Photodegradation of 4-tert octylphenol in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III). Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 3–9 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1039-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1039-1

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