Degradation of the Endocrine-Disrupting Compound Triadimenol Using Photo-Fenton Reaction System and Experimental Design

Abstract

In the present report, the oxidative degradation of an endocrine-disrupting compound triadimenol has been investigated using the photo-Fenton reaction. Different reaction conditions that affected the degradation kinetics were examined including the iron (Fe2+) ions and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations, the initial concentration of triadimefon, and the type of iron salt. The degradation rates proved to be strongly influenced by the above parameters. The reaction conditions in terms of Fe2+ and H2O2 concentrations were systematically studied and optimized using an experimental design through central composite design. The kinetics of the process can be characterized as pseudo-first-order. As iron and hydrogen peroxide concentrations increase, the degradation rate of triadimenol accelerates and complete degradation can be achieved after a short time of illumination. The effectiveness of the five different iron salts on the degradation performance were also investigated. Experiments with longer time illumination can lead to complete mineralization and detoxification of triadimenol solutions. The properties of the proposed oxidative degradation scheme make it a promising candidate for wastewater treatment.