The removal mechanism of tetracycline by environmentally friendly modified sepiolite activated peroxymonosulfate

Sepiolite (SEP), a naturally abundant and environmentally friendly clay mineral, possesses various active sites and a large specific surface area. In this work, peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was activated to remove tetracycline (TC) using modified Sepiolite (MSEP), which was synthesized by ball milling and calcination techniques. According to the findings, MSEP efficiently stimulated PMS to produce 1 O 2 and ·OH radicals for the degradation of TC, with 1 O 2 being a key component of this process. The findings demonstrated that the carbonate on the MSEP surface encouraged the production of singlet oxygen. ( 1 O 2 ). Under the conditions of pH 6.5, 0.2 g/L MSEP, 2 mmol/L PMS and 25 °C, a 10 mg/L TC concentration was reduced by 93.3 % after 30 min. The presence of Cl − and NO 3 − did not inhibit TC degradation, while HCO 3 − promoted it, and H 2 PO 4 − exhibited an inhibitory effect. This work offers a novel method for using clay minerals to activate PMS and degrade organic contaminant without secondary pollution.