A review on recent advancements in the treatment of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using sulfate radicals based advanced oxidation process

Fetcia Jackulin; P Senthil Kumar; B Chitra; S Karthick; Gayathri Rangasamy

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.119124

A review on recent advancements in the treatment of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using sulfate radicals based advanced oxidation process

Environ Res. 2024 May 10:253:119124. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119124. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Fetcia Jackulin¹, P Senthil Kumar², B Chitra¹, S Karthick³, Gayathri Rangasamy⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India; Centre of Excellence in Water Research (CEWAR), Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India.
² Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry, 605014, India. Electronic address: senthilkumarp@pondiuni.ac.in.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, 211004, India.
⁴ Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Pollachi Main Road, Eachanari Post, Coimbatore, 641021, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Sustainable Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India.

PMID: 38734294
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119124

Abstract

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most persistent compounds that get contaminated in the soil and water. Nearly 16 PAHs was considered to be a very toxic according US protection Agency. Though its concentration level is low in the environments but the effects due to it, is enormous. Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) is an emergent methodology towards treating such pollutants with low and high molecular weight of complex substances. In this study, sulfate radical (SO₄‾•) based AOP is emphasized for purging PAH from different sources. This review essentially concentrated on the mechanism of SO₄^‾• for the remediation of pollutants from different sources and the effects caused due to these pollutants in the environment was reduced by this mechanism is revealed in this review. It also talks about the SO₄^‾• precursors like Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and Persulfate (PS) and their active participation in treating the different sources of toxic pollutants. Though PS and PMS is used for removing different contaminants, the degradation of PAH due to SO₄^‾• was presented particularly. The hydroxyl radical (^•OH) mechanism-based methods are also emphasized in this review along with their limitations. In addition to that, different activation methods of PS and PMS were discussed which highlighted the performance of transition metals in activation. Also this review opened up about the degradation efficiency of contaminants, which was mostly higher than 90% where transition metals were used for activation. Especially, on usage of nanoparticles even 100% of degradation could be able to achieve was clearly showed in this literature study. This study mainly proposed the treatment of PAH present in the soil and water using SO₄^‾• with different activation methodologies. Particularly, it emphasized about the importance of treating the PAH to overcome the risk associated with the environment and humans due to its contamination.

Keywords: Activation; Advanced oxidation process; Hydroxyl radical; Polyaromatic hydrocarbons; Sulfate radical.

Publication types

Review