Abstract
In this research, the feasibility of UV/Fe(III) photocatalytic technology for the degradation of tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) was investigated. Experimental results showed that TCEP had a significant removal efficiency in UV/Fe(III) ([TCEP]0 = 10 ppm, [Fe2(SO4)3]0 = 0.5 mM, near-100% degradation rate after 90 min). A free radical scavenging experiment and EPR detection indicated that the formation of ·OH by the Fe(III) under ultraviolet light played a major role. Experiments on influencing factors revealed that oxygen accelerated the degradation of TCEP by accelerating the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle, but Cl− and PO43− inhibited TCEP degradation. Three intermediate products were generated, including C4H9Cl2O4P (product A, m/z 222.9690), C6H13Cl2O5P (product B, m/z 266.9954), and C2H6ClO4P (product C, m/z 160.9762). Moreover, the degradation pathways primarily involved the C–Cl bond and phosphoric center being attacked. Escherichia coli toxicity test revealed that UV/Fe(III) treatment reduced environmental risk of TCEP. Therefore, UV/Fe(III) photocatalysis is a promising technique for TCEP control in wastewater treatment.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Zhi Dang and Hua Yin for their help in the manuscript writing process.
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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41771346 and 42077114), the Guangdong Special Support Program (2019BT02L218), and the Guangdong Science and Technology Program (2020B121201003).
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Li, Q., Huang, K., Duan, X. et al. Degradation of Tris (2-Chloroethyl) Phosphate via UV/Fe(III) Photocatalysis: Kinetics, Products, and Toxicity Assessment. Water Air Soil Pollut 232, 389 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05345-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05345-3