Enhanced degradation of bisphenol A through electroreduction of potassium permanganate activated by periodate

This study is first to elucidate the efficacy of electrochemical activation of periodate (PI) by permanganate (PM) in enhancing the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) over a wide pH spectrum. Utilizing a current density of 4 mA/cm 2 , 200 μM PI, and 20 μM PM, the proposed system achieved a 99.8 % degradation of 40 μM BPA within 30 min and a 65.5 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal in 120 min. The combined system yielded a synergistic coefficient of 15.23 for BPA degradation, and energy efficiency of 0.14 KWh•m −3 . The exceptional performance is attributed to the reduction of PM to low-valent manganese species at the cathode, which facilitates the activation of PI. Additionally, the system preserved high BPA degradation efficiency across a pH range of 3–11. Radical quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments confirmed the pivotal role of singlet oxygen in the degradation process. Furthermore, the system exhibited relative insensitivity to actual water matrix constituents, including inorganic ions and humic acid. In conclusion, the proposed system constitutes an eco-friendly treatment process for BPA removal characterized by low energy consumption.