Oxidation of carbamazepine by Mn(VII) and Fe(VI): reaction kinetics and mechanism

A new perspective on contaminants as "activators": Aromatic amine groups promoted degradation of tetracycline by ferrate(VI)

Occasionally, our group found that the degradation of tetracycline by ferrate(VI) could be promoted by four co-exist contaminants, containing aromatic amines (ofloxacin, diatrizoic acid, sulfadiazine and alachlor). This study investigated the promotion of aromatic amine groups on tetracycline degradation by ferrate(VI) by using aniline as a model compound. The results implied that the presence of aniline increased the degradation rate of tetracycline by 2.76 times, and the enhancement was weakened gradually with the decrease of pH from 10 to 7.5. The generation of Fe(IV) and·OH by the reaction between ferrate(VI) and aniline was proposed to enhance the degradation of tetracycline, supported by quenching experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and theoretical calculations. A positive correlation was found between the rate constant of tetracycline degradation and the electron-donating ability of the substituted amines (quantified by the Hammett substituent constants). In addition, the degradation of tetracycline was remarkably inhibited by HA and some inorganic ions such as NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, Ca2+, and Mg2+, and the inhibition also happened in the Songhua River water and the secondary effluent. The present study provided an insight into the complex oxidation process for the degradation of micropollutants containing aromatic amine by ferrate in water treatment.

Metal ions-mediated concerted electron-proton transfer enables catalytic oxidation of phenolic contaminants by permanganate

Permanganate has been extensively applied in water treatment due to its ease of handling and high stability. However, the impact of common water constituents, especially metal ions, on permanganate oxidation is poorly understood. Here, we report that many redox-inactive metal ions, such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Al3+, can enhance the reactivity of permanganate with phenolic compounds. Moreover, the enhancing effects of metal ions are highly pH-dependent with the largest promotion effect obtained at the pH close to phenols' pKa. Experimental and computational analysis revealed that the oxidation of protonated phenols by permanganate underwent proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) pathways, regardless of the presence of metal ions. Nonetheless, metal ions could catalyze the concerted electron-proton transfer (CEPT) but exhibited negligible effect on ETPT (electron transfer followed by proton transfer) and PTET (proton transfer followed by electron transfer) reactions, accounting for the pH-dependent effects of metal ions. Correlation between CEPT rate constants and the complexing capability of metal ions with phenols suggested that the co-existing metal ions may coordinate to phenolic O-H group and thus facilitate the CEPT reaction of phenols. This study could shed light on the application of permanganate in real practice and the modulation of CEPT reactions.

Deciphering the Novel Picolinate-Mn(II)/peroxymonosulfate System for Sustainable Fenton-like Oxidation: Dominance of the Picolinate-Mn(IV)-peroxymonosulfate Complex

A highly efficient and sustainable water treatment system was developed herein by combining Mn(II), peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and biodegradable picolinic acid (PICA). The micropollutant elimination process underwent two phases: an initial slow degradation phase (0-10 min) followed by a rapid phase (10-20 min). Multiple evidence demonstrated that a PICA-Mn(IV) complex (PICA-Mn(IV)*) was generated, acting as a conductive bridge facilitating the electron transfer between PMS and micropollutants. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that PMS readily oxidized the PICA-Mn(II)* to PICA-Mn(IV)*. This intermediate then complexed with PMS to produce PICA-Mn(IV)-PMS*, elongating the O-O bond of PMS and increasing its oxidation capacity. The primary transformation mechanisms of typical micropollutants mediated by PICA-Mn(IV)-PMS* include oxidation, ring-opening, bond cleavage, and epoxidation reactions. The toxicity assessment results showed that most products were less toxic than the parent compounds. Moreover, the Mn(II)/PICA/PMS system showed resilience to water matrices and high efficiency in real water environments. Notably, PICA-Mn(IV)* exhibited greater stability and a longer lifespan than traditional reactive oxygen species, enabling repeated utilization. Overall, this study developed an innovative, sustainable, and selective oxidation system, i.e., Mn(II)/PICA/PMS, for rapid water decontamination, highlighting the critical role of in situ generated Mn(IV).

Novel Synthesis Pathways for Highly Oxidative Iron Species: Generation, Stability, and Treatment Applications of Ferrate(IV/V/VI)

Difficulties arise related to the economy-of-scale and practicability in applying conventional water treatment technologies to small and remote systems. A promising oxidation technology better suited for these applications is that of electro-oxidation (EO), whereby contaminants are degraded via direct, advanced, and/or electrosynthesized oxidant-mediated reactions. One species of oxidants of particular interest includes ferrates (Fe(VI)/(V)/(IV)), where only recently has their circumneutral synthesis been demonstrated, using high oxygen overpotential (HOP) electrodes, namely boron-doped diamond (BDD). In this study, the generation of ferrates using various HOP electrodes (BDD, NAT/Ni-Sb-SnO2, and AT/Sb-SnO2) was investigated. Ferrate synthesis was pursued in a current density range of 5-15 mA cm-2 and initial Fe3+ concentrations of 10-15 mM. Faradaic efficiencies ranged from 11-23%, depending on operating conditions, with BDD and NAT significantly outperforming AT electrodes. Speciation tests revealed that NAT synthesizes both ferrate(IV/V) and ferrate(VI), while the BDD and AT electrodes synthesized only ferrate(IV/V) species. A number of organic scavenger probes were used to test the relative reactivity, including nitrobenzene, carbamazepine, and fluconazole, whereby ferrate(IV/V) was significantly more oxidative than ferrate(VI). Finally, the ferrate(VI) synthesis mechanism by NAT electrolysis was elucidated, where coproduction of ozone was found to be a key phenomenon for Fe3+ oxidation to ferrate(VI).

The altered treatment efficiency of the bisulfite/permanganate process by chloride

Bisulfite-activated permanganate (S(IV)/Mn(VII)) process has proven to be a promising method for rapidly degrading micropollutants. Previous studies have shown that the treatment efficiency of the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process suffer from significant water matrix effects while the mechanism still remains unclear. This study systematically investigates the influence of chloride, which is a common water constituent, on the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process. Addition of chloride decreased the removal of methyl phenyl sulfoxide, phenol, benzoic acid and carbamazepine by the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process but increased dimethoxybenzene removal. The distribution of reactive species in the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process in the absence and presence of chloride was determined with relative rate method. The S(IV)/Mn(VII) process primarily relies on SO4•- and reactive manganese species (RMnS) for pollutant abatement while dosing chloride decreased the concentration of these reactive species. Reactive chlorine species (RCS), such as Cl2•- and ClO•, are formed through the reaction of SO4•- with chloride, and become more important at high concentrations of chloride. RMnS includes Mn(VI), Mn(V) and Mn(III), but none of these species are capable of oxidizing chloride. However, chloride retarded the consumption of bisulfite which reduced RMnS and RCS in turn. DOM inhibited pollutant removal by the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process while the impact mechanism was significantly altered by chloride. Additionally, the study observed a synergistic inhibition of DOM and chloride on the degradation of pollutants that are highly reactive towards Cl2•- and ClO•.

PTIO as a redox mediator to enhance organic contaminants oxidation by permanganate

Although permanganate (Mn(VII)) is extensively utilized as a strong oxidizer for the purification of water, the direct reaction rates between some refractory pollutants and Mn(VII) are moderate or relatively low. In this study, we found that 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-3-oxide-1-oxyl (PTIO), could act as a redox mediator to enhance bisphenol A (BPA) degradation by Mn(VII) at pH 5.0 - 9.0, with a removal higher than 80% over 5 min. Moreover, the Mn(VII)/PTIO system is highly efficient toward a broad spectrum of contaminants. Mechanism was elucidated as following: PTIO was oxidized by Mn(VII) to PTIO+, an oxoammonium cation. As a newly generated reactive species, PTIO+ could oxidize organics and be reduced to PTIOH (PTIO hydroxylamine) or PTIO simultaneously. The redox cycle of PTIO in consecutive runs as an electron shuttle proved its stability and reusability in Mn(VII) oxidation. In addition to being an electron shuttle, PTIO also acts as an activator of Mn(VII) to promote the production of MnO2, which plays a vital role in enhancing BPA abatement at the acidic condition. For the purpose of further understanding the interaction between PTIO and target contaminants, three corresponding degradation pathways for BPA were proposed. Notably, the transformation products of BPA coupling with PTIO were detected, indicating PTIO inhibited the self-coupling of BPA and facilitated the ring-opening pathway. In addition, the ubiquitous humic acid has a positive effect on the Mn(VII)/PTIO system, suggesting a high promise of this system for practical application.

Nitrilotriacetic acid-assisted Mn(II) activated periodate for rapid and long-lasting degradation of carbamazepine: The importance of Mn(IV)-oxo species

Periodate-based (PI, IO₄^-) oxidation processes for pollutant elimination have gained increased attention in recent years. This study shows that nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) can assist trace Mn(II) in activating PI for fast and long-lasting degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) (100% degradation in 2 min). PI can oxidize Mn(II) to permanganate(MnO₄^-, Mn(VII)) in the presence of NTA, which indicates the important role of transient manganese-oxo species. ¹⁸O isotope labeling experiments using methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) as a probe further confirmed the formation of manganese-oxo species. The chemical stoichiometric relationship (PI consumption: PMSO₂ generation) and theoretical calculation suggested that Mn(IV)-oxo-NTA species were the main reactive species. The NTA-chelated manganese facilitated direct oxygen transfer from PI to Mn(II)-NTA and prevented hydrolysis and agglomeration of transient manganese-oxo species. PI was transformed completely to stable and nontoxic iodate but not lower-valent toxic iodine species (i.e., HOI, I₂, and I^-). The degradation pathways and mechanisms of CBZ were investigated using mass spectrometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. This study provided a steady and highly efficient choice for the quick degradation of organic micropollutants and broadened the perspective on the evolution mechanism of manganese intermediates in the Mn(II)/NTA/PI system.

Ferrate(VI)/Periodate System: Synergistic and Rapid Oxidation of Micropollutants via Periodate/Iodate-Modulated Fe(IV)/Fe(V) Intermediates

The presence of organic micropollutants in water sources worldwide has created a need for the development of effective and selective oxidation methods in complex water matrices. This study is the first report of the combination of ferrate(VI) (Fe(VI)) and periodate (PI) for synergistic, rapid, and selective elimination of multiple micropollutants. This combined system was found to outperform other Fe(VI)/oxidant systems (e.g., H₂O₂, peroxydisulfate, and peroxymonosulfate) in rapid water decontamination. Scavenging, probing, and electron spin resonance experiments showed that high-valent Fe(IV)/Fe(V) intermediates, rather than hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, singlet oxygen, and iodyl radicals, played a dominant role in the process. Further, the generation of Fe(IV)/Fe(V) was evidenced directly by the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic test. Surprisingly, the reactivity of PI toward Fe(VI) is rather low (0.8223 M^-1 s^-1) at pH 8.0, implying that PI was not acting as an activator. Besides, as the only iodine sink of PI, iodate also played an enhanced role in micropollutant abatement by Fe(VI) oxidation. Further experiments proved that PI and/or iodate might function as the Fe(IV)/Fe(V) ligands, causing the utilization efficiency of Fe(IV)/Fe(V) intermediates for pollutant oxidation to outcompete their auto-decomposition. Finally, the oxidized products and plausible transformation pathways of three different micropollutants by single Fe(VI) and Fe(VI)/PI oxidation were characterized and elucidated. Overall, this study proposed a novel selective oxidation strategy (i.e., Fe(VI)/PI system) that could efficiently eliminate water micropollutants and clarified the unexpected interactions between PI/iodate and Fe(VI) for accelerated oxidation.

Ferrate(VI) mediated degradation of the potent cyanotoxin, cylindrospermopsin: Kinetics, products, and toxicity

The presence of cylindrospermopsin (CYN), a potent cyanotoxin, in drinking water sources poses a tremendous risk to humans and the environment. Detailed kinetic studies herein demonstrate ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄^2-, Fe(VI)) mediated oxidation of CYN and the model compound 6-hydroxymethyl uracil (6-HOMU) lead to their effective degradation under neutral and alkaline solution pH. A transformation product analysis indicated oxidation of the uracil ring, which has functionality critical to the toxicity of CYN. The oxidative cleavage of the C5=C6 double bond resulted in fragmentation of the uracil ring. Amide hydrolysis is a contributing pathway leading to the fragmentation of the uracil ring. Under extended treatment, hydrolysis, and extensive oxidation lead to complete destruction of the uracil ring skeleton, resulting in the generation of a variety of products including nontoxic cylindrospermopsic acid. The ELISA biological activity of the CYN product mixtures produced during Fe(VI) treatment parallels the concentration of CYN. These results suggest the products do not possess ELISA biological activity at the concentrations produced during treatment. The Fe(VI) mediated degradation was also effective in the presence of humic acid and unaffected by the presence of common inorganic ions under our experimental conditions. The Fe(VI) remediation of CYN and uracil based toxins appears a promising drinking water treatment process.

High efficient removal of 4-aminophenylarsonic acid from aqueous solution via enhanced FeOOH using Mn(VII)

Efficient removal of 4-aminophenylarsonic acid from contaminated water sources is essential to mitigate arsenic pollution. We proposed a competent technique to achieve 4-aminophenylarsonic acid removal via adsorption on enhanced α-FeOOH using various concentrations of Mn(VII). The elimination rate of 4-aminophenylarsonic acid applying FeOOH with Mn(VII) was dependent on acidic conditions. More than 99.9% of 4-aminophenylarsonic acid was eliminated in a 6-min reaction time under acidic conditions. The reaction of 4-aminophenylarsonic acid was fast at 4.0 and 5.0 pH, with its complete oxidation into arsenate and the liberation of manganese Mn(II) in the initial stage of the reaction. Similarly, the reaction rate constant (k_obs) decreased from 0.7048 ± 0.02 to 0.00155 ± 0.00007 as the pH increased from 4.0 to 9.0. Oxidation capacity was considerably enhanced via the removal of electrons from 4-aminophenylarsonic acid to Mn(VII) after the creation of its radical intermediate and further change in Mn(III) to Mn(II) in the solution. The results showed that Mn(VII) played a crucial role in 4-aminophenylarsonic acid degradation at a low pH (e.g., 4.0), and the oxidation process proceeded in different manners, namely, electron transfer, hydroxylation, and ring-opening. These results illustrated that Mn(VII) is an effective, economic purification process to mitigate 4-aminophenylarsonic acid generated from poultry waste.

Oxidation of Pharmaceuticals by Ferrate(VI)-Amino Acid Systems: Enhancement by Proline

The occurrence of micropollutants in water threatens public health and ecology. Removal of micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals by a green oxidant, ferrate(VI) (FeVIO42-, Fe(VI)) can be accomplished. However, electron-deficient pharmaceuticals, such as carbamazepine (CBZ) showed a low removal rate by Fe(VI). This work investigates the activation of Fe(VI) by adding nine amino acids (AA) of different functionalities to accelerate the removal of CBZ in water under mild alkaline conditions. Among the studied amino acids, proline, a cyclic AA, had the highest removal of CBZ. The accelerated effect of proline was ascribed by demonstrating the involvement of highly reactive intermediate Fe(V) species, generated by one-electron transfer by the reaction of Fe(VI) with proline (i.e., Fe(VI) + proline → Fe(V) + proline•). The degradation kinetics of CBZ by a Fe(VI)-proline system was interpreted by kinetic modeling of the reactions involved that estimated the rate of the reaction of Fe(V) with CBZ as (1.03 ± 0.21) × 106 M-1 s-1, which was several orders of magnitude greater than that of Fe(VI) of 2.25 M-1 s-1. Overall, natural compounds such as amino acids may be applied to increase the removal efficiency of recalcitrant micropollutants by Fe(VI).

Ozone- and Hydroxyl Radical-Mediated Oxidation of Pharmaceutical Compounds Using Ni-Doped Sb-SnO2 Anodes: Degradation Kinetics and Transformation Products

Electrochemical oxidation provides a versatile technique for treating wastewater streams onsite. We previously reported that a two-layer heterojunction Ni-Sb-SnO₂ anode (NAT/AT) can produce both ozone (O₃) and hydroxyl radical (^•OH). In this study, we explore further the applicability of NAT/AT anodes for oxidizing pharmaceutical compounds using carbamazepine (CBZ) and fluconazole (FCZ) as model probe compounds. Details of the oxidation reaction kinetics and subsequent reaction products are investigated in the absence and presence of chloride (Cl^-) and sulfate (SO₄ ^2-). In all cases, faster or comparable degradation kinetics of CBZ and FCZ are achieved using the double-layered NAT/AT anode coupled with a stainless steel (SS) cathode in direct comparison to an identical setup using a boron-doped diamond anode. Production of O₃ on NAT/AT enhances the elimination of both parent compounds and their transformation products (TPs). Very fast CBZ degradation is observed during NAT/AT-SS electrolysis in both NaClO₄ and NaCl electrolytes. However, more reaction products are identified in the presence of Cl^- than ClO₄ ^- (23 TPs vs 6). Rapid removal of FCZ is observed in NaClO₄, while the degradation rate is retarded in NaCl depending on the [Cl^-]. In SO₄ ^2--containing electrolytes, altered reaction pathways and transformation product distributions are observed due to sulfate radical generation. SO₄ ^·- oxidation produces fewer hydroxylated products and promotes the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids. Similar trend in treatment performance is observed in mixtures of CBZ and FCZ with other pharmaceutical compounds in latrine wastewater and secondary WWTP effluent.

Oxidation of micropollutants by visible light active graphitic carbon nitride and ferrate(VI): Delineating the role of surface delocalized electrons

The treatment of recalcitrant micropollutants in water remains challenging. Ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄^2-, Fe(VI)) has emerged as a green oxidant to oxidize organic molecules, however, its reactivity with recalcitrant micropollutants are sluggish. Our results demonstrate enhanced oxidation of carbamazepine (CBZ) by three types of visible light-responsive graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) photocatalyst in absence and presence of ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄^2-, Fe(VI)) under mild alkaline conditions. The g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts were prepared by thermal process using urea, thiourea, and melamine and were named as CN-U, CN-T, and CN-M, respectively. The degradation efficiency of CBZ, in both visible light-g-C₃N₄ and visible light-g-C₃N₄-Fe^VIO₄^2- systems followed the order of CN-U > CN-T > CN-M. The mechanisms for this trend was elucidated by measuring physiochemical properties of the microstructures with various surface and analytical techniques. Results suggest the dominating role of specific surface area and surface delocalized electrons of microstructures in degrading CBZ. Crystallinity, morphology, and surface functional groups may not directly associate with CBZ degradation. The CN-U has higher specific surface area and surface delocalized electrons than CN-T and CN-M and therefore the highest degradation efficiency of CBZ. The surface electrons likely generated O₂^●- and ¹O₂ in the visible light-g-C₃N₄ system. The additional oxidants, Fe^V and Fe^IV in the visible light-g-C₃N₄- Fe^VIO₄^2- system led to higher degradation efficiency than the visible light-g-C₃N₄ system. Results suggest that the surfaces of g-C₃N₄ may be prepared preferentially with high levels of delocalized electrons at the surface of microstructures to enhance degradation of micropollutants.

Electrochemical Carbamazepine Aptasensor for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring at the Point of Care

Monitoring the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) is crucial for proper dosing, optimizing a patient's clinical outcome, and managing their medication regimen. Due to its narrow therapeutic window and concentration-related toxicity, CBZ is prescribed and monitored in a highly personalized manner. We report an electrochemical conformation-changing aptasensor with two assay formats: a 30 min assay for routine monitoring and a 5 min assay for rapid emergency testing. To enable "sample-to-answer" testing, a de novo CBZ aptamer (K _d < 12 nM) with conformational switching due to a G-quadruplex motif was labeled with methylene blue and immobilized on a gold electrode. The electrode fabrication and detection conditions were optimized using electrochemical techniques and visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The aptasensor performance, including reproducibility, stability, and interference, was characterized using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and voltammetry techniques. The aptasensor exhibited a wide dynamic range in buffer (10 nM to 100 μM) with limits of detection of 1.25 and 1.82 nM for the 5 and 30 min assays, respectively. The clinical applicability is demonstrated by detecting CBZ in finger prick blood samples (<50 μL). The proposed assays provide a promising method to enable point-of-care monitoring for timely personalized CBZ dosing.

Efficient removal of organic compounds in eutrophic water via a synergy of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances and permanganate

This study provides a new thinking for the efficient utilization of permanganate (Mn (VII)) in eutrophic water treatment. Eutrophic water contained a large amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with reduction and chelation; this study used phenol as typical organic matter and cyanobacteria EPS as a representative EPS to explore the mechanism by which EPS influences the oxidation of phenol by Mn(VII) at pH 5.0-9.0. The results showed that under the condition of pH 5.0-7.0, adding 0.2-10 mg/L EPS to the Mn(VII) system could effectively improve the oxidation efficiency of Mn(VII) for phenol. EPS promoted the continuous formation and stability of in situ EPS-MnO₂ colloids and significantly enhanced the oxidation of Mn(VII). EPS also combined with phenol and increased the electron cloud density to promote the oxidation of phenol by Mn(VII).

Novel solar-driven ferrate(VI) activation system for micropollutant degradation: Elucidating the role of Fe(IV) and Fe(V)

This paper presents a novel process of solar-ferrate(VI) [Fe(VI)] for micropollutant degradation. The solar-Fe(VI) process promoted micropollutant degradation compared with Fe(VI) alone and solar. The radical scavenging and probing experiment results suggested that Fe(V) and Fe(IV) but not reactive oxygen species were most likely involved in the solar-Fe(VI) process. Through building a kinetic model, Fe(IV) and Fe(V) were observed to play an equally significant role in the solar-Fe(VI) process. Afterward, the reaction mechanism of the photochemistry of Fe(VI) was elaborated. Fe(IV) formed from Fe(VI) photolysis and then decomposed to Fe(II) which reacted with Fe(VI) to form Fe(V). Furthermore, the effect of pH on carbamazepine (CBZ) degradation was studied and the quantum yields of Fe(VI) were determined, with (1.98 ± 0.16)× 10^-3 mol∙einstein^-1, (5.90 ± 0.27)× 10^-4 mol∙einstein^-1, and (1.66 ± 0.14)× 10^-4 mol∙einstein^-1 at pH 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0, respectively. Inorganic ions, including Cl^-, HCO₃^-, and Br^- displayed negligible influence on the CBZ degradation, whereas humic acid inhibited the CBZ degradation. Finally, the solar-Fe(VI) process exhibited good applicability in authentic waters and under different irradiation (natural sunlight, ultraviolet light, and visible light from solar cut-off emission). Overall, this study provides a new routine for efficient micropollutant elimination and reveals the photochemistry of Fe(VI).

In-situ chemical attenuation of pharmaceutically active compounds using CaO2: Influencing factors, mechanistic modeling, and cooperative inactivation of water-borne microbial pathogens

Water polluted by pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and water-borne pathogens urgently need to develop eco-friendly and advanced water treatment techniques. This paper evaluates the potential of using calcium peroxide (CaO₂), a safe and biocompatible oxidant both PhACs (thiamphenicol, florfenicol, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and primidone) and pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) in water. This paper evaluates the potential of using calcium peroxide (CaO₂) as a safe and biocompatible oxidant to remove both PhACs (thiamphenicol, florfenicol, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and primidone) and pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) in water. The increased CaO₂ dosage increased efficiencies of PhACs attenuation and pathogens inactivation, and both exhibited pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics (R² > 0.90). PhACs attenuation were mainly via oxidization (H₂O₂, •OH/O^•-, and O₂^•-) and alkaline hydrolysis (OH^-) from CaO₂. Moreover, concentrations of these reactive species and their contributions to PhACs attenuation were quantified, and mechanistic model was established and validated. Besides, possible transformation pathways of target PhACs except primidone were proposed. As for pathogen indicators, the suitable inactivation dosage of CaO₂ was 0.1 g L^-1. The oxidability (18-64%) and alkalinity (82-36%) generated from CaO₂ played vital roles in pathogen inactivation. In addition, CaO₂ at 0.01-0.1 g L^-1 can be applied in remediation of SW contaminated by PhACs and pathogenic bacteria, which can degrade target PhACs with efficiencies of 21-100% under 0.01 g L^-1 CaO₂, and inactivate 100% of test bacteria under 0.1 g L^-1 CaO₂. In short, capability of CaO₂ to remove target PhACs and microbial pathogens reveals its potential to be used as a representative technology for the advanced treatment of waters contaminated by organic compounds and microbial pathogens.

Peracetic Acid Enhances Micropollutant Degradation by Ferrate(VI) through Promotion of Electron Transfer Efficiency

Ferrate(VI) and peracetic acid (PAA) are two oxidants of growing importance in water treatment. Recently, our group found that simultaneous application of ferrate(VI) and PAA led to much faster degradation of micropollutants compared to that by a single oxidant, and this paper systematically evaluated the underlying mechanisms. First, we used benzoic acid and methyl phenyl sulfoxide as probe compounds and concluded that Fe(IV)/Fe(V) was the main reactive species, while organic radicals [CH₃C(O)O^•/CH₃C(O)OO^•] had negligible contribution. Second, we removed the coexistent hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in PAA stock solution with free chlorine and, to our surprise, found the second-order reaction rate constant between ferrate(VI) and PAA to be only about 1.44 ± 0.12 M^-1s^-1 while that of H₂O₂ was as high as (2.01 ± 0.12) × 10¹ M^-1s^-1 at pH 9.0. Finally, further experiments on ferrate(VI)-bisulfite and ferrate(VI)-2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic)acid systems confirmed that PAA was not an activator for ferrate(VI). Rather, PAA could enhance the oxidation capacity of Fe(IV)/Fe(V), making their oxidation outcompete self-decay. This study, for the first time, reveals the ability of PAA to promote electron transfer efficiency between high-valent metals and organic contaminants and confirms the benefits of co-application of ferrate(VI) and PAA for alkaline wastewater treatment.

Degradation of Organic Contaminants by Reactive Iron/Manganese Species: Progress and Challenges

Many iron(II, III, VI)- and manganese(II, IV, VII)-based oxidation processes can generate reactive iron/manganese species (RFeS/RMnS, i.e., Fe(IV)/Fe(V) and Mn(III)/Mn(V)/Mn(VI)), which have mild and selective reactivity toward a wide range of organic contaminants, and thus have drawn significant attention. The reaction mechanisms of these processes are rather complicated due to the simultaneous involvement of multiple radical and/or nonradical species. As a result, the ambiguity in the occurrence of RFeS/RMnS and divergence in the degradation mechanisms of trace organic contaminants in the presence of RFeS/RMnS exist in literature. In order to improve the critical understanding of the RFeS/RMnS-mediated oxidation processes, the detection methods of RFeS/RMnS and their roles in the destruction of trace organic contaminants are reviewed with special attention to some specific problems related to the scavenger and probe selection and experimental results analysis potentially resulting in some questionable conclusions. Moreover, the influence of background constituents, such as organic matter and halides, on oxidation efficiency of RFeS/RMnS-mediated oxidation processes and formation of byproducts are discussed through their comparison with those in free radicals-dominated oxidation processes. Finally, the prospects of the RFeS/RMnS-mediated oxidation processes and the challenges for future applications are presented.

Enhanced degradation of emerging contaminants by permanganate/quinone process: Case study with bisphenol A

Permanganate (Mn(VII)) is widely used as a mild oxidant in water treatment. However, the reaction rates of some emerging contaminants with Mn(VII) are extremely low. In this study, benzoquinone (BQ), a redox mediator with the important component in dissolved organic matter (DOM), enhanced the oxidation of bisphenol A (BPA) by Mn(VII) in a wide pH range of 4.0-10.0. The redox cycle of BQ would produce semiquinone radicals, which could act as ligands to stabilize the formed Mn(III) in the system to promote the oxidation of BPA. Notably, the presence of BQ might promote the formation of MnO₂. A novel mechanism was proposed that singlet oxygen (¹O₂), Mn(III)-ligands (Mn(III)-L) and in-situ formed MnO₂ were the main contributors to accelerate BPA degradation in the Mn(VII)/BQ system. Under acidic conditions, the in-situ formed MnO₂ involved in the redox reaction and part of the Mn(IV) was reduced to Mn(III), indicating that the electron transfer of BQ promoted the formation of active Mn species and enhanced the Mn(VII) oxidation performance. Semiquinone radicals generated by BQ transformation would couple with the hydrogen substitution products of BPA to inhibit BPA self-coupling and promote the ring-opening reactions of BPA. Mn(VII)/BQ had better effect in raw water than in pure water, indicating that the Mn(VII)/BQ system has high potential for practical application. This study provided insights into the role of DOM in enhancing the Mn(VII) oxidation in water treatment.

Bisulfite activated permanganate for oxidative water decontamination

Recently, bisulfite-activated permanganate (MnO₄^-; Mn(VII)) process has attracted considerable attention as a novel class of advanced oxidation technology for destruction of organic contaminants in water. However, disputes over the underlying activation mechanism as well as reactive species generated in the Mn(VII)/bisulfite system remain for a long period due to the fairly complex chemistry involved in this system. This article aims to present a critical review on scientific development of the Mn(VII)/bisulfite system, with particular focus on the generation and contribution of various reactive intermediates. Both reactive manganese species (RMnS) (i.e., soluble Mn(III), Mn(V), and Mn(VI)) and radical species (primarily SO₄^•-) are identified as the oxidizing components responsible for enhanced degradation of organic contaminants by the Mn(VII)/bisulfite system. Bisulfite plays a dual role of being an activating agent for reactive intermediates generation and acting as a complexing agent to stabilize RMnS. Solution chemistry (e.g., the [Mn(VII)]/[bisulfite] molar ratio, solution pH, the type of contaminants, ligands, and water matrix components) greatly impacts the generation and consumption of RMnS and radicals, thus influencing the degradation kinetics and pathways of organics. Particularly, dissolved oxygen (DO) is a vital factor for driving the oxidation of organics since the absence of DO can block the generation of SO₄^•- and meantime causes the consumption of RMnS by excess SO₃^•- as a strong reductant. Interestingly, ferrate (FeO₄^2-, Fe(VI)) and hexavalent chromium (CrO₄^2-/HCrO₄^-, Cr(VI)) that are high-valent metal oxyanions analogous to Mn(VII) can be activated by bisulfite via a similar pathway (i.e. both high-valent metal-oxo intermediates and reactive radicals are involved). Furthermore, key knowledge gaps are identified and future research needs are proposed to address the potential challenges encountered in practical application of the Mn(VII)/bisulfite oxidation technology.

Reinvestigation of the oxidation of organic contaminants by Fe(VI): Kinetics and effects of water matrix constituents

Since previous studies mostly ignored the contributions of Fe(IV) and Fe(V) during the determination of reaction rate constants of ferrate (Fe(VI)) with trace organic contaminants (TrOCs), the intrinsic oxidation ability of Fe(VI) was overestimated. For the first time, this study systemically evaluated the reactivity of Fe(VI) towards four kinds of TrOCs by blocking Fe(IV)/Fe(V) over the TrOCs degradation, and evaluated the effects of coexisting water matrix constituents. Results revealed that Fe(VI) exhibited superior reactivity towards phenolic compounds. Different from other tested TrOCs, phenolic compounds were mainly degraded by Fe(VI) rather than Fe(IV)/Fe(V). Taking bisphenol A (BPA) as the target TrOC, we found that the coexisting constituents can not only affect the reactivity of different ferrate species (i.e., Fe(IV), Fe(V), and Fe(VI)), but also alter the concentrations of ferrates. HPO₄^2- inhibited the reaction between Fe(VI) and H₂O₂, while Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and NH₄⁺ promoted the generation of Fe(IV)/Fe(V) from Fe(VI). Besides, humic acid could increase the contribution of Fe(IV)/Fe(V) to the oxidation of BPA. These findings were validated in real water samples. Taken together, this study provides a new perspective regarding the intrinsic oxidation reactivity of Fe(VI), thereby urging reconsideration of the proper strategies for utilization of high-valent Fe species in practices.

Permanganate Oxidation of Organic Contaminants and Model Compounds

Permanganate oxidation is an attractive environmental remediation strategy due to its low cost, ease of use, and wide range in reactivity. Here, permanganate reactivity trends are investigated for model organic compounds and organic contaminants. Second-order permanganate reaction rate constants were compiled for 215 compounds from 82 references (journal articles, conference proceedings, master's theses, and dissertations). Additionally, we validated some phenol rate constants and contribute a few additional phenol rate constants. Commonalities between contaminant oxidation products are also discussed, and we tentatively identify several model compound oxidation products. Aromatic rings, alcohols, and ether groups had low reaction rate constants with permanganate. Alkene reaction sites had the highest reaction rate constants, followed by phenols, anilines, and benzylic carbon-hydrogen bonds. Generally, permanganate reactivity follows electrophilic substitution trends at the reaction site where electron donating groups increase the rate of reaction, while electron withdrawing groups decrease the rate of reaction. Solution conditions, specifically, buffer type and concentration, may impact the rate of reaction, which could be due to either an ionic strength effect or the buffer ions acting as ligands. The impact of these solution conditions, unfortunately, precludes the development of a quantitative structure-activity relationship for permanganate reaction rate constants with the currently available data. We note that critical experimental details are often missing in the literature, which posed a challenge when comparing rate constants between studies. Future research directions on permanganate oxidation should seek to improve our understanding of buffer effects and to identify oxidation products for model compounds so that extrapolations can be made to more complex contaminant structures.

Ferrate(VI) oxidation of bisphenol E-Kinetics, removal performance, and dihydroxylation mechanism

Bisphenol E (bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane, BPE), as a typical endocrine disrupting chemical, is commonly detected in source water and drinking water, which poses potential risks to human health and ecological environment. This paper investigated the removal of BPE by ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄^2-, Fe(VI)) in water. Under the optimal condition of [Fe(VI)]₀:[BPE]₀ = 10:1 and pH = 8.0, a removal efficiency of 99% was achived in 180 s. Sixteen intermediates of BPE were detected, and four possible reaction pathways were proposed, which mainly involved the reaction modes of double-oxygen and single-oxygen transfer, bond breaking, carboxylation and polymerization. The double-oxygen transfer mechanism, different from traditional mechanisms, was newly proposed to illustrate the direct generation of di-hydroxylated products from parent BPE, which was demonstrated by theoretical calculations for its rationality. Significantly, NO₂^-, HCO₃^-, Cu²⁺, and humic acid, constituents of water promoted the removal of BPE. Additionally, samples from river, tap water, synthetic wastewater, and secondary effluent were tested to explore the feasibility of Fe(VI) oxidation for treating BPE in water. It was found that 99% of BPE was degraded within 300 s in these waters except for synthetic wastewater. The toxicity of BPE and its intermediates was evaluated by ECOSAR program, and the results showed that Fe(VI) oxidation decreased the toxicity of reaction solutions. These findings demonstrated that the Fe(VI) oxidation process was an efficient and green method for the treatment of BPE, and the new insights into the double-oxygen transfer mechanism aid to understand the reaction mechanisms of organic pollutants oxidized by Fe(VI).

Sustainable ferrate oxidation: Reaction chemistry, mechanisms and removal of pollutants in wastewater

This review is intended to evaluate the use of ferrate (Fe(VI)), being a green coagulant, sustainable and reactive oxidant, to remove micro pollutants especially pharmaceutical pollutants in contaminated water. After a brief description of advanced oxidation processes, fundamental dimensions regarding the nature, reactivity, and chemistry of this oxidant are summarized. The degradation of contaminants by Fe(VI) involves several mechanisms and reactive agents which are critically evaluated. The efficiency and chemistry of Fe(VI) oxidation differs according to the reaction conditions and activation agent, such as soluble Fe(VI) processes, which involve Fe(VI), UV light, and electro-Fe(VI) oxidation. Fe(VI) application methods (including single dose, multiple doses, chitosan coating etc), and Fe(VI) with activating agents (including sulfite, thiosulfate, and UV) are also described to degrade the micro pollutants. Besides, application of Fe(VI) to remove pharmaceuticals in wastewater are intensely studied. Electrochemical prepared Fe(VI) has more wide application than wet oxidation method. Meanwhile, we elaborated Fe(VI) performance, limitations, and proposed innovative aspects to improve its stability, such as the generation of Fe(III), synergetic effects, nanopores entrapment, and nanopores capsules. This study provides conclusive direction for synergetic oxidative technique to degrade the micro pollutants.

Oxidative transformation of emerging organic contaminants by aqueous permanganate: Kinetics, products, toxicity changes, and effects of manganese products

Permanganate (Mn(VII)) has been widely studied for removal of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in water treatment and in situ chemical oxidation process. Studies on the reactive intermediate manganese products (e.g., Mn(III) and manganese dioxide (MnO₂)) generated from Mn(VII) reduction by EOCs in recent decades shed new light on Mn(VII) oxidation process. The present work summarizes the latest research findings on Mn(VII) reactions with a wide range of EOCs (including phenols, olefins, and amines) in detailed aspects of reaction kinetics, oxidation products, and toxicity changes, along with special emphasis on the impacts of intermediate manganese products (mainly Mn(III) and MnO₂) in-situ formed. Mn(VII) shows appreciable reactivities towards EOCs with apparent second-order rate constants (k_app) generally decrease in the order of olefins (k_app = 0.3 - 2.1 × 10⁴ M^-1s^-1) > phenols (k_app = 0.03 - 460 M^-1s^-1) > amines (k_app = 3.5 × 10^-3 - 305.3 M^-1s^-1) at neutral pH. Phenolic benzene ring (for phenols), (conjugated) double bond (for olefins), primary amine group and the N-containing heterocyclic ring (for amines) are the most reactive sites towards Mn(VII) oxidation, leading to the formation of products with different structures (e.g., hydroxylated, aldehyde, carbonyl, quinone-like, polymeric, ring-opening, nitroso/nitro and C-N cleavage products). Destruction of functional groups of EOCs (e.g., benzene ring, (conjugated) double bond, and N-containing heterocyclic) by Mn(VII) tends to decrease solution toxicity, while oxidation products with higher toxicity than parent EOCs (e.g., quinone-like products in the case of phenolic EOCs) are sometimes formed. Mn(III) stabilized by model or unknown ligands remarkably accelerates phenolic EOCs oxidation by Mn(VII) under acidic to neutral conditions, while MnO₂ enhances the oxidation efficiency of phenolic and amine EOCs by Mn(VII) at acidic pH. The intermediate manganese products participate in Mn(VII) oxidation process most likely as both oxidants and catalysts with their generation/stability/reactivity affecting by the presence of NOM, ligand, cations, and anions in water matrices. This work presents the state-of-the-art findings on Mn(VII) oxidation of EOCs, especially highlights the significant roles of manganese products, which advances our understanding on Mn(VII) oxidation and its application in future water treatment processes.

New insight into quinones triggered ferrate in-situ synthesized polynuclear Fe-hydroxyl complex for enhancing interfacial adsorption in highly efficient removal of natural organic matter

In this study, the effects of quinone on the formation of in-situ synthesized polynuclear Fe-hydroxide (PnFe-H) from ferrate activation and enhanced degradation of organics were investigated by in-situ UV linear differential absorbance spectra for the first time. Results indicated benzoquinone (BQ) efficiently activated ferrate for the flocculation of humic acid (HA) that the flocculation reactions rate constants in Fe(VI)-0.1 mM BQ was 3.3 times as much as the blank. Interestingly, quenching studies suggested PnFe-H derived from the high-valence iron species which were the active components by BQ activation, was proved the vital factor for removing of HA. According to the analysis of interaction energy, BQ promoted FeOH²⁺ converted to Fe(OH)₂⁺ and Fe₂(OH)₂⁴⁺ which weakened the polar property and increased hydrophobicity of compounds, further benefited for adsorption with lower Lifshitz-van del Waals (LW) and Lewis acid-base (AB) interfacial energy between PnFe-H-contaminant compounds. However, excessive BQ reduced freshly particulate Fe(III) to Fe(II), weakened the PnFe-H flocculation performance which retarded the transformation of iron species. In addition, the effects of HA concentration were also studied due to the existent of functional quinone-like moieties. The contribution of PnFe-H flocculation removal on the total removal (Re_flocculation/Re_total) improved from 2.6% to 17.09% with Fe(VI)/HA from 0.1 to 1.12. Fe(VI) sufficient oxidized electron-rich moieties and decreased the aromaticity due to π bond was broken, further cooperated with PnFe-H captured small fragment particles by sweep flocculation that Fe(VI) self-accelerating decay produced more Fe(III). The research elucidated a new insight into of ferrate activation by quinone which could expand our knowledge of activation pathway, further regulate the relationship between oxidation and flocculation for enhancing organic and colloidal particle removal in practical application.

Revelation of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) Involvement in the Fe(VI)-ABTS System: Kinetic Modeling and Product Analysis

To quantitatively probe iron intermediate species [Fe(V)/Fe(IV)] in Fe(VI) oxidation, this study systematically investigated the reaction kinetics of Fe(VI) oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic)acid (ABTS) at different ratios of [ABTS]₀/[Fe(VI)]₀ (i.e., >1.0, =1.0, and <1.0) in pH 7.0 phosphate (10 mM)-buffered solution. Compared to the literature, a more comprehensive and robust kinetic model for the Fe(VI)-ABTS system including interactions between high-valent iron species [Fe(VI), Fe(V), and Fe(IV)], ABTS, and the ABTS^•+ radical was proposed and validated. The oxidation of ABTS by Fe(VI) (k = (5.96 ± 0.9%) × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1), Fe(V) (k = (2.04 ± 0.0%) × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1), or Fe(IV) (k = (4.64 ± 13.0%) × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1) proceeds via one-electron transfer to generate ABTS^•+, which is subsequently oxidized by Fe(VI) (k = (8.5 ± 0.0%) × 10² M^-1 s^-1), Fe(V) (k = (1.0 ± 40.0%) × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1), or Fe(IV) (k = (1.9 ± 17.0%) × 10³ M^-1 s^-1), respectively, via two-electron (oxygen atom) transfer to generate colorless ABTS_ox. At [ABTS]₀/[Fe(VI)]₀ > 1.0, experimental data and model simulation both indicated that the reaction stoichiometric ratio of Fe(VI)/ABTS^•+ increased from 1.0:1.0 to 1.0:1.2 as [ABTS]₀ was increased. Furthermore, the Fe(VI)-ABTS-substrate model was developed to successfully determine reactivity of Fe(V) to different substrates (k = (0.7-1.42) × 10⁶ M^-1 s^-1). Overall, the improved Fe(VI)-ABTS kinetic model provides a useful tool to quantitatively probe Fe(V)/Fe(IV) behaviors in Fe(VI) oxidation and gains new fundamental insights.

Sulfate radical-based oxidation of the aminopyralid and picloram herbicides: The role of amino group on pyridine ring

The widespread utilization of pesticides has attracted increasing attention to their environmental impacts and effective removal strategies. In the present study, the degradation of herbicides picloram (PCLO) and aminopyralid (AMP) with similar structures were investigated systematically by thermo activated persulfate. Overweight SO₄^•- was determined to be the predominant oxidizing species by quenching experiment. Obtained by laser-flash photolysis (LFP), reaction rate constants of SO₄^•- towards AMP and PCLO were determined at 1.56 × 10⁹ M^-1s^-1 and 1.21 × 10⁹ M^-1s^-1, respectively. Product analysis revealed that both substances underwent similar oxidation paths, namely, successive oxidation on pyridine ring and formation of coupling-products as well as further hydroxylation and decarboxylation. Amino group on the pyridine ring was identified as the main reactive site, which was further confirmed by DFT calculation. It was susceptible attacked by SO₄^•- to form deamination, nitration, and self-coupling products. These couples could be further oxidatively dehydrated to form azo and a series of azo derivatives. EOCSAR program predicted significant hazards on aquatic species during the formation of these couplings and azo derivatives. Our work emphasized the potential ability and toxicity of contaminates to produce azo substances in the presence of amino groups on the pyridine ring.

Enhanced transformation of organic pollutants by mild oxidants in the presence of synthetic or natural redox mediators: A review

Synthetic or natural mediators (Med) can enhance the transformation of different types of organic pollutants by mild oxidants, which has been extensively studied in literature. This enhancing effect is attributed to the following two steps: (i) mild oxidants react with Med forming Med_ox with higher reactivity, and then (ii) these organic pollutants are more readily transformed by Med_ox. The present work reviews the latest findings on the formation of Med_ox from the reactions of synthetic (i.e., 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonate (ABTS) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT)) or natural mediators (i.e., syringaldehyde (SA), acetosyringone (AS), p-coumaric acid, and catechol) with mild oxidants such as laccase, manganese oxidants including permanganate (Mn(VII)) and MnO₂, and ferrate (Fe(VI)), as well as the transformation of organic pollutants including phenols, amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic dyes, pulp, and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) by Med_ox. First, reaction kinetics and mechanisms of the oxidation of synthetic or natural mediators by these mild oxidants were summarized. Reactivity and pathways of synthetic Med_ox including ABTS^·+, ABTS²⁺, HBT^· or natural Med_ox including phenoxy radicals and quinone-type compounds reacting with different organic pollutants were then discussed. Finally, the possibilities of engineering applications and new perspectives were assessed on the combinations of different types of mild oxidants with synthetic or natural mediators for the treatment of various organic pollutants.

Assessing the effects of elevated ozone on physiology, growth, yield and quality of soybean in the past 40 years: A meta-analysis

Soybean (Glycine max) production is seriously threatened by ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution. The goal of our study is to summarize the impacts of O₃ on physiology, growth, yield, and quality of soybean, as well as root parameters. We performed meta-analysis on the collated 48 peer-reviewed papers published between 1980 and 2019 to quantitatively summarize the response of soybean to elevated O₃ concentrations ([O₃]). Relative to charcoal-filtered air (CF), elevated [O₃] significantly accelerated chlorophyll degradation, enhanced foliar injury, and inhibited growth of soybean, evidenced by great reductions in leaf area (-20.8%), biomass of leaves (-13.8%), shoot (-22.8%), and root (-16.9%). Shoot of soybean was more sensitive to O₃ than root in case of biomass. Chronic ozone exposure of about 75.5 ppb posed pronounced decrease in seed yield of soybean (-28.3%). In addition, root environment in pot contributes to higher reduction in shoot biomass and yield of soybean. Negative linear relationships were observed between yield loss and intensity of O₃ treatment, AOT40. The larger loss in seed yield was significantly associated with higher reduction in shoot biomass and other yield component. This meta-analysis demonstrates the effects of elevated O₃ on soybean were pronounced, suggesting that O₃ pollution is still a soaring threat to the productivity of soybean in regions with high ozone levels.

Trace organic contaminants abatement by permanganate/bisulfite pretreatment coupled with conventional water treatment processes: Lab- and pilot-scale tests

Bisulfite-activated permanganate (PM/BS) process has proven to be a promising method for trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) abatement. However, to our knowledge, most previous studies on PM/BS process were limited in synthetic water at lab-scale. Hence, the performance of TrOCs abatement by PM/BS process was investigated in real waters in this study, and for the first time, its feasibility as a pretreatment process was evaluated at pilot-scale. The lab-scale results indicated that almost all tested TrOCs could be completely removed from pure water, while their removal efficiencies varied widely from ∼20 % to ∼90 % in real waters. Correlation analysis suggested that TrOCs abatement decreased linearly with increasing concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and halide ions in real waters. The TrOCs with electron-donating groups were more likely to be decomposed in PM/BS process. The PM/BS pretreatment produced MnO₂ and decreased the aromatic signal of the DOM, which enhanced the removal of DOM during subsequent coagulation-sedimentation processes. Comparing with ozonation, chlorination, and permanganate processes, PM/BS process showed some advantages in terms of TrOCs abatement and operating costs. Furthermore, the pilot-scale experiment confirmed that PM/BS process combined with traditional water treatment processes could achieve excellent TrOCs abatement (greater than 84%).

Improving the treatment of waste activated sludge using calcium peroxide

The treatment and disposal of waste activated sludge (WAS) has become one of the major challenges for the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) due to large output, high treatment costs and enriched substantial emerging contaminants (ECs). Therefore, reducing sludge volume, recovering energy and resource from WAS, and removing ECs and decreasing environmental risk have gained increasing attentions. Calcium peroxide (CaO₂), a versatile and safe peroxide, has been widely applied in terms of WAS treatment including sludge dewatering, anaerobic sludge digestion and anaerobic sludge fermentation due to its specific properties such as generating free radicals and alkali, etc., providing supports for sludge reduction, recycling, and risk mitigation. This review outlines comprehensively the recent progresses and breakthroughs of CaO₂ in the fields of sludge treatment. In particular, the relevant mechanisms of CaO₂ enhancing WAS dewaterability, methane production from anaerobic digestion, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and hydrogen production from anaerobic fermentation, and the removal of ECs in WAS and role of experiment parameters are systematically elucidated and discussed, respectively. Finally, the knowledge gaps and opportunities in CaO₂-based sludge treatment technologies that need to be focused in the future are prospected. The review presented can supply a theoretical basis and technical reference for the application of CaO₂ for improving the treatment of WAS.

Development of fluorescence surrogates to predict the ferrate(VI) oxidation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents

The removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater effluents is an emerging concern for environmental scientists and engineers. Ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄^2-, Fe^VI) is a promising oxidant and the removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater effluents has been investigated in this study. Firstly, Fe^VI oxidation of selected pharmaceuticals was examined by determining the apparent second-order rate constants (k_app) in buffer solutions as a function of pH (5.0-9.5). At pH 8.0, k_app of cimetidine, famotidine, nalidixic acid, ronidazole, dimetridazole, tinidazole, and caffeine are (1.6 ± 0.2)×10³, (7.8 ± 0.3)×10², 2.6 ± 0.4, 1.7 ± 0.1, 0.9 ± 0.3, 0.2 ± 0.1, and < 0.1 M^-1 s^-1, respectively. However, k_app could not be directly employed to predict the removal of pharmaceuticals in the effluents due to the inhibited or enhanced effects of effluent organic matters (EfOM). Therefore, an alternative approach of spectroscopic surrogates was investigated since fluorophore was co-degraded with pharmaceuticals in the wastewater effluents. Particularly, the humic-like fluorescent peak correlated well with the pharmaceutical attenuation. The relationship of the reduction of fluorescence and the removal of pharmaceuticals could be described through a universal equation: [Formula: see text] . The practical utility of the fluorescence surrogate was validated by applying to field samples. Monitoring the changes of the fluorescence surrogate provides a promising, rapid, and inexpensive method for estimating the degradation of pharmaceuticals during Fe^VI treatment of wastewater effluents.

Overlooked Role of Fe(IV) and Fe(V) in Organic Contaminant Oxidation by Fe(VI)

Fe(VI) has received increasing attention since it can decompose a wide range of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in water treatment. However, the role of short-lived Fe(IV) and Fe(V) in TrOC decomposition by Fe(VI) has been overlooked. Using methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO), carbamazepine, and caffeine as probe TrOCs, we observed that the apparent second-order rate constants (k_app) between TrOCs and Fe(VI) determined with the initial kinetics data were strongly dependent on the initial molar ratios of TrOCs to Fe(VI). Furthermore, the k_app value increases gradually as the reaction proceeds. Several lines of evidence suggested that these phenomena were ascribed to the accumulation of Fe(IV) and Fe(V) arising from Fe(VI) decay. Kinetic models were built and employed to simulate the kinetics of Fe(VI) self-decay and the kinetics of PMSO degradation by Fe(VI). The modeling results revealed that PMSO was mainly degraded by Fe(IV) and Fe(V) rather than by Fe(VI) per se and Fe(V) played a dominant role, which was also supported by the density functional theory calculation results. Given that Fe(IV) and Fe(V) have much greater oxidizing reactivity than Fe(VI), this work urges the development of Fe(V)/Fe(IV)-based oxidation technology for efficient degradation of TrOCs.

Ozonation of carbamazepine and its main transformation products: product determination and reaction mechanisms

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a recalcitrant pharmaceutical often detected in wastewater and in the environment. CBZ can be removed from wastewater through advanced oxidation treatment methods such as ozonation. In this study, CBZ and its transformation product 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2,4-dione (BQD) were ozonated, and the formation and transformation of their ozonation products were investigated using liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry and high-resolution mass spectrometry as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The main products, 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-4-hydro-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2-one (BQM) and BQD were quantified using isolated standards and LC-UV. Of the original CBZ concentration, 74% was transformed into BQM and 83% of BQM was further transformed into BQD. Both products are more stable than CBZ and could still be detected after 240 min of ozonation. Another major product, 2,2'-azanediyldibenzaldehyde (TP225) was for the first time identified using NMR. Twelve further CBZ products were identified.

Influence of terminal electron-accepting conditions on the soil microbial community and degradation of organic contaminants of emerging concern

Better understanding of the fate and persistence of trace organic contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in agricultural soils is critical for assessing the risks associated with using treated wastewater effluent to irrigate crops and land application of wastewater biosolids. This study reports on the influence of prevailing terminal electron-accepting processes (TEAPs, i.e., aerobic, nitrate-reducing, iron(III)-reducing, and sulfate-reducing conditions) and exposure to a mixture of nine trace CEC (90 ng/g each) on both the microbial community structure and CEC degradation in agricultural soil. DNA analysis revealed significant differences in microbial community composition following establishment of different TEAPs, but no significant change upon exposure to the mixture of CEC. The largest community shift was observed after establishing nitrate-reducing conditions and the smallest shift for sulfate-reducing conditions. Two of the CEC (atrazine and sulfamethoxazole) showed significant degradation in both bioactive and abiotic (i.e., sterilized) conditions, with half-lives ranging from 1 to 64 days for different TEAPs, while six of the CEC (amitriptyline, atenolol, trimethoprim, and three organophosphate flame retardants) only degraded in bioactive samples, with half-lives ranging from 27 to 90 days; carbamazepine did not degrade appreciably within 90 days in any of the incubations. Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) from Firmicutes Hydrogenispora, Gemmatimonadetes Gemmatimonadaceae, and Verrucomicrobia OPB34 soil group were identified as potentially responsible for the biodegradation of organophosphate flame retardants, and ASVs from other taxa groups were suspected to be involved in biodegrading the other target CEC. These results demonstrate that CEC fate and persistence in agricultural soils is influenced by the prevailing TEAPs and their influence on the microbial community, suggesting the need to incorporate these factors into contaminant fate models to improve risk assessment predictions.

Radiolysis of carbamazepine by electron beam: Roles of transient reactive species and biotoxicity of final reaction solutions on rotifer Philodina sp

Electron beam (EB) has proven to be an effective advanced oxidation reduction process (AORP) to degrade the psychiatric drug carbamazepine (CBZ); however, the degradation mechanism and the toxicity of the final reaction solutions to aquatic microorganisms needed further investigation. In this study, CBZ was eventually degraded and even mineralized by EB treatment, where the degradation of CBZ followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics with R² > 0.98. Acidic conditions, presence of an additional oxidant (2.5 mmol L^-1 H₂O₂), and O₂/air-saturated conditions improved the degradation efficiency of CBZ, as well as the radiation chemical yield (G-value defined as the efficiency of the irradiation process). Concentrations of transient reactive species (TRS) caused by EB were quantified under different conditions at doses of 0.956 and 3.17 kGy, and the apparent quantum yield of CBZ degradation was in the order of OH > H > e_aq^-. However, the contribution of these species to CBZ degradation was in the order of OH > e_aq^- >H due to the generation of only a small amount of H. Findings regarding the changes of in CBZ degradation intermediates, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and total organic carbon showed that CBZ can gradually be mineralized into CO₂/CO₃^2-, H₂O, and NH₃/NH₄⁺ by the EB process. Additionally, an excellent rotifer survival rate after 5-day culturing in the reaction solutions resulting from 5-kGy treatment indicated that EB can be a safe AORP to mineralize CBZ in solution. These findings provide scientific proof for the EB being an effective AORP for removal of psychiatric drugs from aqueous solutions, laying the foundation for future remediation research.

Regioselective oxidation of tetracycline by permanganate through alternating susceptible moiety and increasing electron donating ability

Permanganate has attracted much attention in wide range of chemistry and particularly in degradation of environmental pollutants. However, few studies have discussed the feature of regioselective reactivity of permanganate with specific moiety of the target compound. Herein, we studied the reaction between permanganate and tetracycline that is an emerging micropollutant with different species containing several electron-rich groups. The second-order rate constants increased from 6.0 to 9.0 and could be quantitatively modeled by considering the speciation of both reactants, yielding k_TC⁰ = 11.7 (mol/L)^-1 sec^-1, k_TC^- = 35.7 (mol/L)^-1 sec^-1, k_TC^2- = 43.1 (mol/L)^-1 sec^-1 for individual reaction channels. Degradation products were then identified as the hydroxylated and demethylated compounds. The result suggested a rate-limiting step of simple hydroxylation at the phenolic and/or alkene moieties, while the demethylation should be caused by the unavoidably formed manganese oxide via single electron oxidation. This is supported by the DFT calculation, indicating the primary oxidation of phenolic group of TC⁰ with activation barrier of 44.5 kcal/mol and of alkene group of TC^- and TC^2- with activation barriers of 44.0 and 43.4 kcal/mol, respectively. This is in agreement with the experimental results, implying the alternation of regioselectivity associated with the deprotonation process. The result was further supported by performing the Fukui function and electrostatic potential analysis, reflecting the more probable site and better electron donating tendency beneficial to the permanganate oxidation.

Transformations of organic micropollutants undergoing permanganate/bisulfite treatment: Kinetics, pathways and toxicity

Permanganate/bisulfite (PM/BS) is a relatively new advanced oxidation process that can degrade organic micropollutants at extraordinary high rates. In this study, the degradability of PM/BS process towards different representative types of compounds was studied by investigating the kinetics, reaction site specificity and transformation chemistry. Acesulfame (ACE) and carbamazepine (CBZ) were two typical compounds containing olefinic moieties. Sucralose (SUC) was selected as a reference compound, and it is without aromatic and olefinic moieties. The kinetics results indicated that ACE and CBZ were effectively degraded while SUC was not. Preferred reaction sites of Mn³⁺ species was elucidated by identification of the ACE-transformation products (TPs) and CBZ-TPs with UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Seventeen ACE-TPs including two new compounds and eleven CBZ-TPs produced during the PM/BS process were identified and characterized. Transformation pathways revealed that cleavage of olefinic double bonds was the main reaction mechanism. Chemical structures containing electron-donating groups preferentially reacted with electrophilic Mn³⁺ species during the process. In addition, transformation products of ACE and CBZ during PM/BS process did not induce higher toxicity. This study provides a preliminary interpretation on the selectivity of PM/BS process according to the micropollutants' chemical structures, which hope to shed light on the future development of PM/BS treatment.

Enhanced Coagulation with Mn(III) Pre-Oxidation for Treatment of Micro-Polluted Raw Water

Mn(III) oxidation technology has attracted increasing interest in recent years because of its fast decontamination kinetics and second-pollution-free characteristic. Whether it can be used as a pre-oxidation step to enhance conventional coagulation process remains to be evaluated. Herein, an Fe-coagulation/sedimentation process combined with Mn(III) pre-oxidation (Mn(III)+C/S), hypochlorite pre-oxidation (Cl2+C/S), and permanganate pre-oxidation (PM+C/S) was applied to treat simulated micro-polluted raw water. The removal performance of routine water quality indices (turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, Pb(II), and Cr(VI)) and the emerging pollutants (acesulfame, carbamazepine, bisphenol S, and nano-ZnO) created by these three processes were researched. The mechanism of how Mn(III) pre-oxidation influences C/S was explored by identifying the transformation products of Mn(III), measuring the timely variation of flocs’ zeta potential and size, and scanning flocs’ micromorphology. Compared to Cl2+C/S and PM+C/S, Mn(III)+C/S exhibited its superiority in removing dissolved organic carbon (72.9%), total nitrogen (31.74%), and emerging pollutants (21.78%–93.49%). The enhanced removal of these contaminants by Mn(III)+C/S found its explanation in the strong oxidation power of Mn(III) and the multiple roles of in-situ formed MnO2 (e.g., flocculation core, adsorption co-precipitant, and densification agent). The acute toxicity tests confirmed that water treated by Mn(III)+C/S did not show a significant change in the associated toxicity. The findings of the present study indicate that Mn(III) oxidation technology shows great potential as an alternative to pre-oxidation technology of waterworks.

Oxidation kinetics of anilines by aqueous permanganate and effects of manganese products: Comparison to phenols

In this study, the potential applicability of potassium permanganate (Mn(VII)) for anilines elimination was systematically investigated firstly, with a focus on the effect of manganese intermediates on the kinetics of anilines versus phenols. It was found that Mn(VII) could fairly oxidize anilines, where the second-order rate constants (k_Mn(VII)) values for anilines always decreased as pH increased from 5 to 9. This interesting pH-dependency was successfully described by the kinetic models proposed in literature to account for the unusual pH-rate profiles for phenols, where the formation of intermediates between Mn(VII) and phenols or anilines was likely involved. The effect of manganese products such as MnO₂ and Mn(III) on the oxidation of anilines by Mn(VII) was demonstrated. Under slightly acidic conditions, the reactions of Mn(VII) with anilines displayed autocatalysis, suggesting a similar catalytic role of MnO₂ formed in situ as compared to phenols. Several ligands (e.g., pyrophosphate) inhibited the formation of MnO₂ colloids and lowered the oxidation rates of anilines by Mn(VII) at acidic pH, while these ligands greatly accelerated the kinetics of phenols under similar conditions. The contrasting effects of ligands might be mainly attributed to the different reactivity of ligand-stabilized Mn(III) formed in situ toward anilines vs phenols. The complex effect of humic acid was highly dependent on solution pH, possible due to the dual role of humic acid that it could act as a reductant (competitively consuming Mn(VII) and phenoxy or aniline radical) as well as a ligand (stabilizing manganese intermediates such as Mn(III) species) to affect Mn(VII) reactions.

Attenuation of pharmaceutically active compounds in aqueous solution by UV/CaO2 process: Influencing factors, degradation mechanism and pathways

As freshwater sources continue to be influenced by wastewater effluents, there is a dire need to develop advanced water treatment processes capable of treating the wastewater-derived contaminants, especially for pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs). Ultraviolet light (UV) combined with calcium peroxide (CaO₂) as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) to attenuate five widespread PhACs (carbamazepine (CBZ), primidone (PMD), phenobarbital (PBB), thiamphenicol (TAP) and florfenicol (FF)) was investigated in this paper. The degradation of these compounds followed pseudo-first-order kinetics (R² > 0.96). The optimum CaO₂ dosage was 0.1 g L^-1 and lower initial contaminants concentration was beneficial to their degradation. The UV/CaO₂ treatment of test PhACs was attributed to the combination of UV/H₂O₂ and UV-base-photolysis (UV/Ca(OH)₂), and the degradation mechanism was recognized as both UV direct photolysis and indirect photolysis caused by reactive radicals (•OH, triplet states of dissolved organic matter (³DOM*), and ¹O₂). Furthermore, the tentative transformation pathways of the five PhACs were proposed based on the detected intermediates and the degradation mechanisms. The final products of inorganic carbon and nitrogen indicate UV/CaO₂ treatment can significantly mineralize test PhACs. Also, the CaO₂ addition significantly reduced the energy consumption of UV irradiation according to electrical energy per order. The effective removal of CBZ and PMD in a secondary wastewater effluent by UV/CaO₂ treatment demonstrates the potential use of this AOP technology in advanced treatment of wastewater-derived PhACs.

Strategy of combining radiation with ferrate oxidation for enhancing the degradation and mineralization of carbamazepine

In this study, the strategy of combining radiation with ferrate oxidation was proposed to decrease the adsorbed dosse and enhance the mineralization of carbamazepine in aqueous solution. Compared to single radiation (800 Gy), the combined process of ferrate pretreatment and radiation required lower dose (600 Gy) for totally removing carbamazepine. During the combined process, the removal efficiency of total organic carbon (TOC) reached 22.2%. However, the removal efficiencies of carbamazepine and TOC decreased when ferrate and radiation were used simultaneously, indicating that the addition of ferrate during the radiation process had negative effect on the removal of carbamazepine. In contrast, the radiation followed by ferrate oxidation presented the best performance in decreasing the absorbed dose and enhancing the mineralization of carbamazepine. Carbamazepine could be completely removed under all conditions. TOC removal efficiency reached 18.3%, 31.3%, 52.9% and 60.6%, respectively, at the adsorbed dose of 100, 300, 600 and 800 Gy when 0.4 mM ferrate was adopted. The enhanced TOC removal could be due to the enhanced oxidation capacity of ferrate caused by the pH decrease at the end of radiation and the further oxidation of intermediate products formed during the radiation process by ferrate. Seven degradation products were identified in total, and thus the degradation pathway of carbamazepine was proposed. This study provides a possible way to decrease the adsorbed dose and enhance the mineralization of carbamazepine by radiation.

Degradation of dye in wastewater by Homogeneous Fe(VI)/NaHSO3 system

The homogeneous Fe(VI)/Na₂SO₃ system has been proposed for highly efficient degradation of recalcitrant contaminants, in which sulfite could significantly enhance the transformation of organic substrate by Fe(VI). Also, the Fe(VI)/NaHSO₃ system could show high efficiency across a wide range of pH conditions. The degradation rates reached up to 80% within 2 min and 70% within 5 min in strongly acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively. Unexpectedly, a faster removal rate was obtained in Fe(VI)/NaHSO₃ system than that in Fe(VI)/Na₂SO₃ system for the degradation of methylene blue (MB). A reasonable dye degradation mechanism was proposed and verified by a series of experiments. The high oxidation potential of Fe(VI) and other species such as sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were responsible for the outstanding capabilities of Fe(VI)/NaHSO₃ system, which could significantly improve the treatment of organics in wastewater under a very wide range of pH conditions.

Mechanistic insights into the reactivity of Ferrate(VI) with phenolic compounds and the formation of coupling products

In this paper, the removal of 2-benzylphenol (2-BP), phenol (Ph), chlorophene (CP), and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) by Fe(VI) have been examined at pH 8.0. The second-order rate constant (k) for substrates degradation at a Fe(VI) concentration of 0.2 mM was in the order of k_CP (353 M^-1 s^-1) > k_4-CP (131 M^-1 s^-1) > k_2-BP (102 M^-1 s^-1) > k_Ph (40 M^-1 s^-1), indicating that the presence of chlorine and benzyl groups in benzene ring can enhance the reactivity of the phenolic compounds with Fe(VI). Reaction products were identified by a liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS), and four reaction mechanisms, including hydroxylation of benzene ring, cleavage of C-C bridge bond, substitution of chlorine atom by hydroxyl group, and the single-electron coupling mechanism were proposed for phenols degradation by Fe(VI). The extracted peak areas of the degradation products showed that the single-electron coupling reaction is the main degradation mechanism in Fe(VI) oxidation processes. In addition to direct attack by Fe(VI), hydroxyl radical, as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, also plays a role in phenols degradation. The •OH initiated reactions and single-electron coupling reactions were further explored by total charges distribution, transition state calculations and potential energy profiles. In addition, Fe(VI) could also work as a highly effective oxidant for substrates removal from real waters.