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Zero-valent iron/persulfate(Fe0/PS) oxidation acetaminophen in water

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Abstract

Zero-valent iron (Fe0), as an alternative iron source, was evaluated to activate persulfate (PS) to degrade acetaminophen (APAP), a representative pharmaceutically active compound in water. Effects of key factors in the so-called Fe0/PS process, including Fe0 dosage, initial pH, temperatures and chelating agents, were studied. Under all the conditions tested, the APAP degradation followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics pattern. The degradation efficiency of APAP was highest when the Fe0 to PS molar ratio increased to 1:1, and the degradation rate constant and removal were 23.19 × 10−3 min−1 and 93.19 %, respectively. Comparing with Fe2+, Fe0 served as an alternative iron source that can gradually release Fe2+ into water, thereby consistently activating PS to produce sulfate radicals. The Fe0/PS system was effective in a broader pH range from 3 to 8.5. Heat could facilitate production of sulfate radicals and enhance the APAP degradation in the Fe0/PS system. High reaction temperature also improved the Fe2+/PS oxidation of APAP. Finally, sodium citrate (a chelating agent) at an appropriate concentration could improve the APAP degradation rate in the Fe2+/PS and Fe0/PS system. The optimal molar ratio of Fe0 to citrate depended on solution pH. Our results demonstrated that Fe0 was an alternative iron source to activate PS to degrade APAP in water.

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Acknowledgments

Financial supports from the National Major Project of Science and Technology Ministry of China (2008ZX07421-002) and the research and development Project of Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development (2009-K7-4). We are also thankful to the reviewers for their valuable advice to improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    J. Deng, Y. Shao, N. Gao, C. Tan & S. Zhou

  2. China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, Beijing, 100037, China

    Y. Shao

  3. Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA

    Y. Deng

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  1. J. Deng
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  2. Y. Shao
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  3. N. Gao
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  4. Y. Deng
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  5. C. Tan
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  6. S. Zhou
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Correspondence to Y. Shao.

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Deng, J., Shao, Y., Gao, N. et al. Zero-valent iron/persulfate(Fe0/PS) oxidation acetaminophen in water. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 11, 881–890 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0284-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0284-2

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