Peroxymonosulfate activation by phosphate anion for organics degradation in water

Activation of peroxygens is a critical method to generate oxidative species, but often consumes additional chemical reagents and/or energy. Here we report a novel and efficient activation reaction for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by phosphate anions (PBS). The PBS/PMS coupled system, at neutral pH, is able to decompose efficiently even mineralize a variety of organic pollutants, such as Acid Orange 7, Rhodamine B and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. In contrast, no measurable degradation was observed when the PMS was replaced by other peroxygens (i.e. hydrogen peroxide and peroxydisulfate). Both PMS and PBS are indispensable for the oxidative degradation of pollutants. Increasing pH and concentrations of PMS and PBS significantly accelerate the degradation of organics. It is proposed that OH would be the major radical for contamination degradation at pH 7.0 through the radical quenching experiments. This work provides a new way of PMS activation for decontamination at neutral pH, in particular for phosphate-rich wastewater treatment.