Ru(III)/Periodate System: Rapid Microbial Inactivation and Micropollutant Abatement in Seconds

The worldwide presence of microbial and chemical pollutants has greatly threatened natural water ecosystems and public health. However, there are still very limited strategies for the rapid elimination of these hazardous contaminants in water. This study reported that the combination of ruthenium(III) (Ru(III), 10.0 μM) and periodate (PI, 50.0 μM) could inactivate bacteriophage MS2 and bacteria, reduce antibiotic resistance genes, and degrade organic micropollutants in water in seconds. Multiple lines of evidence suggested high-valent Ru-ligand complexes as the dominant oxidizing species in which PI and/or iodate might act as the ligand(s). The mechanistic studies indicated that the Ru(III)/PI-triggered inhibition of host attachment/genome injection and local membrane damage contributed to a 6 log MS2 and Escherichia coli reduction, respectively, in 10 s. Furthermore, the transformation products of representative emerging micropollutants were characterized, and their stepwise decomposition mechanisms were proposed. Interestingly, the Ru(III)/PI system also achieved high elimination of all of the above coexisting contaminants in real wastewater in 30 s. Taken together, this investigation provides an advanced oxidation strategy, i.e., the Ru(III)/PI system, which is unexpectedly governed by the high-valent Ru-ligand complexes. The proposed technology holds great promise in rapid water decontamination and may be useful in situations where rapid/urgent water treatment is required.