Degradation of furfural in aqueous solution using activated persulfate and peroxymonosulfate by ultrasound irradiation

Majid Kermani; Mehdi Farzadkia; Maryam Morovati; Mahmoud Taghavi; Saeid Fallahizadeh; Razieh Khaksefidi; Samira Norzaee

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110616

Degradation of furfural in aqueous solution using activated persulfate and peroxymonosulfate by ultrasound irradiation

J Environ Manage. 2020 Jul 15:266:110616. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110616. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Authors

Majid Kermani¹, Mehdi Farzadkia¹, Maryam Morovati², Mahmoud Taghavi³, Saeid Fallahizadeh⁴, Razieh Khaksefidi⁵, Samira Norzaee⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ardakan University, P.O.Box 184, Ardakan, Iran; Medicinal and Industrial Plants Research Institute, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran.
³ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
⁴ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran. Electronic address: samira.norzaee@gmail.com.

PMID: 32392147
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110616

Abstract

Furfural is a toxic compound that can cause many problems for human health and the environment. In this study, we addressed the degradation of furfural in aqueous solution using the activated persulfate (SPS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) through the ultrasonic (US) wave. Besides, the effect of various parameters (pH, oxidizing dose, initial furfural concentration, US frequency, Inorganic anions concentration, and scavenger) on SPS + US (SPS/US) and PMS + US (PMS/US) processes were examined. The results showed, in order to furfural removal, the US had excellent efficiency in activating SPS and PMS, as in SPS/US and PMS/US processes, 95.3% and 58.4% of furfural (at 25 mg/L concentration) was decomposed in 90 min, respectively. The furfural degradation rate increased with increasing oxidizing dose and US frequency in both SPS/US and PMS/US processes. Considering the synergistic effect, the best removal rate has occurred in the SPS/US process. In the SPS/US and PMS/US processes, furfural removal increased at natural pH (pH 7), and the presence of inorganic anions such as NO₃^- and Cl^- had negative effects on furfural removal efficiency. Also CO₃^2- and HCO₃^- acted as a radical scavenger in the SPS/US process but these anions in the PMS/US process produced more SO₄^-° radicals, and subsequently, they increased the furfural degradation rate. The results also showed that the predominant radical in the oxidation reactions is the sulfate radical. This study showed that the SPS/US and PMS/US processes are promising methods for degrading organic pollutants in the environment.

Keywords: Degradation; Furfural; Peroxymonosulfate; Persulfate; Ultrasound.

MeSH terms

Furaldehyde
Oxidation-Reduction
Peroxides
Ultrasonic Waves*
Water Pollutants, Chemical*

Substances

Peroxides
Water Pollutants, Chemical
peroxymonosulfate
Furaldehyde