Alkali-thermal activated persulfate treatment of tetrabromobisphenol A in soil: Parameter optimization, mechanism, degradation pathway and toxicity evaluation

Yushuang Chen; Rui Shi; Yafei Hu; Wenlai Xu; Neng-Min Zhu; Haijiao Xie

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166477

Alkali-thermal activated persulfate treatment of tetrabromobisphenol A in soil: Parameter optimization, mechanism, degradation pathway and toxicity evaluation

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 10:903:166477. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166477. Epub 2023 Aug 23.

Authors

Yushuang Chen¹, Rui Shi², Yafei Hu¹, Wenlai Xu³, Neng-Min Zhu⁴, Haijiao Xie⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Synergetic Control and Joint Remediation for Soil & Water Pollution, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China. Electronic address: shirui18@cdut.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Synergetic Control and Joint Remediation for Soil & Water Pollution, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China.
⁴ Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu, 610041, China.
⁵ Hangzhou Yanqu Information Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, 310003, China.

PMID: 37625715
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166477

Abstract

The continued accumulation of halogenated organic pollutants in soil posed a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. In this study, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was used as a typical representative of halogenated organic pollutants in soil, for alkali-thermal activated persulfate (PS) treatment. The results of response surface methodology (RSM) showed a optimal debromination efficiency of TBBPA was 88.99 % under the optimum reaction conditions. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) confirmed that SO₄^-•, HO•, O₂^-• and ¹O₂ existed simultaneously in the oxidation process. SO₄^-• played a major role in the initial stage of the reaction, and O₂^-• played a major role in the the last stage. Based on density functional theory (DFT) and intermediate products, two degradation pathways were proposed, including debromination reaction and β bond scission. Moreover, the basic physical and chemical properties of the soil were affected to a certain extent, while the soil surface structure, elements and functional group composition rarely changed. In addition, the T.E.S.T. analysis and biotoxicity tests proved that alkali-thermal activated PS can effectively reduce the toxicity of TBBPA-contaminated soil, which is conducive to the subsequent safe secondary utilization of soil.

Keywords: Advanced oxidation processes; Reactive oxygen species; Soil remediation; Tetrabromobisphenol A; Toxicity.