Remediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil by Using Activated Persulfate with Carbonylated Activated Carbon Supported Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron

Soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been an environmental issue worldwide, which aggravates the ecological risks faced by animals, plants, and humans. In this work, the composites of nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on carbonylated activated carbon (nZVI-CAC) were prepared and applied to activate persulfate (PS) for the degradation of PAHs in contaminated soil. The prepared nZVI-CAC catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the PS/nZVI-CAC system was superior for phenanthrene (PHE) oxidation than other processes using different oxidants (PS/nZVI-CAC > PMS/nZVI-CAC > H2O2/nZVI-CAC) and it was also efficient for the degradation of other six PAHs with different structures and molar weights. Under optimal conditions, the lowest and highest degradation efficiencies for the selected PAHs were 60.8% and 90.7%, respectively. Active SO4−• and HO• were found to be generated on the surface of the catalysts, and SO4−• was dominant for PHE oxidation through quenching experiments. The results demonstrated that the heterogeneous process using activated PS with nZVI-CAC was effective for PAH degradation, which could provide a theoretical basis for the remediation of PAH-polluted soil.