Accelerated removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon by amorphous boron- or citric acid-co-Fe(III) activated sodium percarbonate process: In aqueous solution and soil slurry

In the advanced oxidation process (AOPs) induced by sodium percarbonate (SPC), reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be scavenged by a large amount of dissolved Fe(II) released within a short time. To address this issue, a slow-release Fe(II) process is proposed in this study, thereby enhancing the degradation of contaminants. SPC/Fe(III)/amorphous boron (B) and SPC/Fe(III)/citric acid (CA) procedures were employed to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with B as the reductant and CA as the chelator. Fluoranthene (FLT) removal in SPC/Fe(III)/B process contributed to HO•, while HO• and O 2 − • were responsible for FLT degradation via SPC/Fe(III)/CA system. SPC/Fe(III)/CA system exhibits more adaptability to intricate water quality circumstances compared to SPC/Fe(III)/B system. The bio-toxicity of FLT and their degradation intermediates was evaluated via the Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.), revealing a reduction in oral rat LD50, developmental toxicity, mutagenicity, and bioconcentration factor of the degradation intermediates relative to FLT. Both amorphous B- or CA-assisted SPC/Fe(III) processes were shown to be eco-friendly through luminosity inhibition tests with Vibrio fischeri . Experiments on soil slurry revealed that SPC/Fe(III)/CA system was feasible for the removal of complex PAHs, directing the SPC-induced AOPs process for the remediation of PAHs contaminated soils and groundwater.