Non-Radical Activation of Peracetic Acid by Powdered Activated Carbon for the Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole

Environmental-friendly and low-cost catalysts for peracetic acid (PAA) activation are vital to promote their application for micropollutant degradation in water. In this study, powdered activated carbon (PAC) was reported to improve the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The improvement of SMX degradation in the PAC/PAA system was expected to be because of the PAA activation rather than the co-existing H2O2 activation. Non-radical oxidation pathways, including the mediated electron-transfer process and singlet oxygen (1O2), were evidenced to play the dominant roles in the degradation of micro-organic pollutants. The graphitization of PAC, persistent free radicals, and electron-donating groups like C–OH…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 51878308
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2019YFC1904000
• FR
  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

  Award: 2022JYCXJJ029