Development of polystyrene coated persulfate slow-release beads for the oxidation of targeted PAHs: effect of sulfate and chloride ions

Abstract In this study, we synthesized polystyrene coated persulfate polyacrylonitrile beads (PC-PSPANBs) to control persulfate (PS) release for targeted PAHs’ degradation in batch reactor. Initially, the persulfate release rate (ksr = 20.553 h-1) from PSPANBs was fast, but coating beads with polystyrene controlled PS release rate (ksr = 2.841 h-1), nearly ten times slower than without coating. When Fe(II) activated PC-PSPANBs applied for 12 h degradation of acenaphthene (ACE), 2-methlynaphthalene (2-MN) and dibenzofuran (DBF), the optimum percent removal efficiencies (% R.Es) were as ACE (82.12%) > DBF (68.57%) > 2-MN (58.80%) and the optimum degradation rate constants (kobs) were found as ACE (11.348 h-1) > 2-MN (3.441 h-1) > DBF (1.101 h-1). The effect of SO42− and Cl− on ACE degradation showed that % R.E and kobs were enhanced with increasing anionic concentrations. The maximum % R.E was achieved for SO42− (76.24%) > Cl− (65.51%), but the highest kobs was in case of Cl− (1.536 h-1) > SO42− (0.510 h-1). The effectiveness of PS release longevity was also found because net degradations of ACE and DBF after first spiking were 12 mg L-1 and 16 mg L-1, while after second spiking were 18 mg L-1 and 10 mg L-1, respectively.