Activation of Bisulfite with Pyrophosphate-Complexed Mn(III) for Fast Oxidation of Organic Pollutants

Aqueous complexes of Mn(III) ion with ligands exist in various aquatic systems and many stages of water treatment works, while HSO3−is a common reductant in water treatment. This study discloses that their encounter results in a process that oxidizes organic contaminants rapidly. Pyrophosphate (PP, a nonredox active ligand) was used to prepare the Mn(III) solution. An approximate 71% removal of carbamazepine (CBZ) was achieved by the Mn(III)/HSO3−process at pH 7.0 within 20 s, while negligible CBZ was degraded by Mn(III) or HSO3−alone. The reactive species responsible for pollutant abatement in the Mn(III)/HSO3−process were SO4•−and HO•. The treatment efficiency of the Mn(III)/HSO3−process is highly related to the dosage of HSO3−because HSO3−acted as both the radical scavenger and precursor. The reaction of Mn(III) with HSO3−follows second-order reaction kinetics and the second-order rate constants ranged from 7.5 × 103to 17 M−1s−1under the reaction conditions of this study, suggesting that the Mn(III)/HSO3−process is an effective process for producing SO4•−. The pH and PP:Mn(III) ratio affect the reactivity of Mn(III) towards HSO3−. The water background constituents, such as Cl−and dissolved organic matter, induce considerable loss of the treatment efficiency in different ways.Keywords:Mn(III);bisulfite;advanced oxidation processes;sulfate radical;micropollutant abatement