Wide Range Of Organic Contaminants Research Articles

Enhanced visible-light-driven peroxymonosulfate activation for antibiotic mineralization using electrosynthesized nanostructured bismuth oxyiodides thin films

The search for non-specific catalysts capable of removing a wide range of organic contaminants remains a key challenge given their increasing presence in aquatic environments. In this ongoing exploration, this work proposes the use of bismuth oxyiodides as activators of ecological oxidative radicals, wherein raw substances like peroxymonosulfate (PMS) gain prominence due to the valuable efficiency of the radicals they can generate. For BiOI, serving as a precursor to the photocatalysts, the effect of the electroactive solution components on its electrochemical preparation was analyzed using the voltamperometric technique. The compositional and structural characterization confirmed successful formation. Deposit annealing treatments result in new species such as Bi7O9I3 at 250ºC and, primarily, Bi5O7I at 420 or 520ºC—species that also exhibit visible light absorption, paving the way for their use under sunlight. Initially, a single tetracycline (TC) solution was employed to test the degradation and mineralization capability of the prepared films, assessing the impact of the solution's pH, the presence of PMS, light irradiation, and annealing temperature. The annealing temperature increases the catalytic effect. It is noteworthy that for all bismuth iodide films, the highest catalytic activity was observed when combining PMS and visible light irradiation, showcasing a synergistic improvement. This trend holds for multipollutant solutions as well. In a crucial role for the material's application, the results demonstrate that annealing temperatures below 450ºC promote films that reasonably maintain their activity and chemical stability after continuous reuse.

Innovative non-targeted screening approach using High-resolution mass spectrometry for the screening of organic chemicals and identification of specific tracers of soil and dust exposure in children

Environmental contamination through direct contact, ingestion and inhalation are common routes of children’s exposure to chemicals, in which through indoor and outdoor activities associated with common hand-to-mouth, touching objects, and behavioral tendencies, children can be susceptible and vulnerable to organic contaminants in the environment. The objectives of this study were the screening and identification of a wide range of organic contaminants in indoor dust, soil, food, drinking water, and urine matrices (N = 439), prioritizing chemicals to assess children’s environmental exposure, and selection of unique tracers of soil and dust ingestion in young children by non-targeted analysis (NTA) using Q-Exactive Orbitrap followed data processing by the Compound Discoverer (v3.3, SP2). Chemical features were first prioritized based on their predominant abundance (peak area>500,000), detection frequency (in >50% of the samples), available information on their uses and potential toxicological effects. Specific tracers of soil and dust exposure in children were selected in this study including Tripropyl citrate and 4-Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. The criteria for selection of the tracers were based on their higher abundance, detection frequency, unique functional uses, measurable amounts in urine (suitable biomarker), and with information on gastrointestinal absorption, metabolism, and excretion, and were further confirmed by authentic standards. We are proposing for the first time suitable unique tracers for dust ingestion by children.

Recent advances in water falling film reactor designs for the removal of organic pollutants by advanced oxidation processes: A review

Chemical wastewater from industrial and urban activities is a major environmental concern. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as efficient techniques for the removal of persistent organic pollutants from wastewater. AOPs generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH) that effectively degrade and mineralize a wide range of organic contaminants in aqueous solutions. Research is ongoing to find simple and efficient reactor designs for AOPs. Water falling film (WFF) reactor designs have been effectively utilized for the removal of various organic pollutants from wastewater. This review provides an overview of the development and application of WFF reactor designs for organic pollutants degradation by various AOPs. This work summarizes recent studies on treating organic pollutants, highlights current challenges in applying WFF reactors for water treatment using AOPs, and proposes future research directions. The review aims to guide researchers and stimulate further investigations into practical applications of WFF reactors in wastewater treatment.

Interest of a new large diffusive gradients in thin films (L-DGT) for organic compounds monitoring: On-field comparison with conventional passive samplers

In this work, the performances of a Large Diffusive Gradients in Thin films (L-DGT, i.e., a DGT based on a Chemcatcher® holder with a 5-fold larger sampling area) were compared on-field with the conventional DGT and the Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) for the monitoring of a wide range of organic contaminants (i.e., 65 pesticides and metabolites, 53 pharmaceuticals and 12 hormones). These three passive samplers were simultaneously deployed in four rivers during 14 days. Their performances were then evaluated according to their detection and quantification capacities and their physical robustness. The results obtained confirm the advantages of the L-DGT over the conventional DGT regarding its sensitivity but also its robustness during field deployment. The POCIS provides the higher sensitivity, allowing the detection of more organic compounds compared to the DGT and, to a lesser extent, the L-DGT. However, both L-DGT and DGT reduces the uncertainty on the determination of the time-weighted average concentrations (CW), mainly due to the narrow range of variation of their calibration parameters. Indeed, for a given compound, CW can vary up to only a 3-fold factor with DGT and L-DGT compared to a 2 to 10-fold factor (up to 50) with POCIS. Thus, the L-DGT appears to be more suitable than DGT in low-contaminated contexts, which require higher sensitivity, or than POCIS when a CW determination is needed. For a qualitative evaluation however, the POCIS remains the most suitable passive sampler.

Enhanced Direct Electron Transfer Mediated Contaminant Degradation by Fe(IV) Using a Carbon Black-Supported Fe(III)-TAML Suspension Electrode System.

Iron complexes of tetra-amido macrocyclic ligands (Fe-TAML) are recognized to be effective catalysts for the degradation of a wide range of organic contaminants in homogeneous conditions with the high valent Fe(IV) and Fe(V) species generated on activation of the Fe-TAML complex by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) recognized to be powerful oxidants. Electrochemical activation of Fe-TAML would appear an attractive alternative to H2O2 activation, especially if the Fe-TAML complex could be attached to the anode, as this would enable formation of high valent iron species at the anode and, importantly, retention of the valuable Fe-TAML complex within the reaction system. In this work, we affix Fe-TAML to the surface of carbon black particles and apply this "suspension anode" process to oxidize selected target compounds via generation of high valent iron species. We show that the overpotential for Fe(IV) formation is 0.17 V lower than the potential required to generate Fe(IV) electrochemically in homogeneous solution and also show that the stability of the Fe(IV) species is enhanced considerably compared to the homogeneous Fe-TAML case. Application of the carbon black-supported Fe-TAML suspension anode reactor to degradation of oxalate and hydroquinone with an initial pH value of 3 resulted in oxidation rate constants that were up to three times higher than could be achieved by anodic oxidation in the absence of Fe-TAML and at energy consumptions per order of removal substantially lower than could be achieved by alternate technologies.

Removal of norfloxacin by combining persulfate with nano zero-valent iron modified by activated carbon and copper nanocomposite

Advanced oxidation process (AORs) is an effective method to remove a wide range of organic contaminants. However, an outstanding catalysis is needed to generate more free radicals. In this work, nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) modified with activated carbon and copper (AC-nZVI/Cu) was synthesized by liquid-phase reduction, and used to catalyze persulfate (PS) to remove norfloxacin (NOR). The effect of various factors, such as diverse adsorbents, pH, temperature, PS dosage, adsorbent dosage, and inorganic anions, on NOR removal efficiency were investigated. The results show that 30 mg/L NOR can be easily removed by 0.5 g/L AC-nZVI/Cu at 313 K through activating 0.5 mM PS, and the removal efficiency is as high as 96.84%. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis proves that numerous sulfate free radicals (·SO<sub>4</sub><sup>-</sup>) appear at the initial stage of the removal process. Furthermore, the quenching experiments manifested that ·SO<sub>4</sub><sup>-</sup> was the predominant radical special in acidic conditions, while adsorption of NOR was predominant under alkaline conditions. Importantly, compared with nZVI, AC-nZVI/Cu has excellent long-term stability because of the introduction of activated carbon and copper. The study laid the groundwork for further development of adsorbent and activator based on nZVI.

Electrochemical Redox Processes for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Using Single-atom Catalysts

This project will address the critical bottleneck in electrochemical redox processes (i.e., decreasing cost and improving efficiency) for wastewater treatment and resource recovery by developing cost-effective and selective electrode materials that can treat or valorize ROC for safe discharge or reuse. The overarching goal is to develop an electrochemical prototype to degrade a wide range of organic contaminants, minimize electrodes’ fouling and scaling, and recover valuable resources (e.g., metals and salts), contributing to achieving “pipe parity” and “circular economy” using small-scale and modular electrochemical water treatment systems.

Efficient degradation of p-chlorophenol by N,S-codoped biochar activated perxymonosulfate

The easy preparation of low-cost, highly active, and environment-friendly carbon-based catalysts for wastewater treatment remains a challenge. In this study, we fabricated a biochar codoped with nitrogen and sulfur (NS-BC) as a low-cost and efficient catalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and p-chlorophenol degradation. NS-BC was synthesized by the pyrolysis of sawdust with urea and sulfur powder serving as the nitrogen source and sulfur source, respectively. Due to the large surface area and high defect degree of NS-BC, its catalysis performance for PMS (Kobs=0.8104) was better than those of single-doped (Kobs=0.4177 and Kobs=0.3132) and undoped (Kobs=0.1265) biochar, and it can completely degrade p-chlorophenol within 5 min. The main active substances in the activation process of PMS were elucidated by free radical burst experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. Superoxide radical and singlet oxygen were the main active species of the system. These catalysts achieve rapid removal of a wide range of organic contaminants over a wide pH range. This work mainly emphasizes that the use of nonmetal-doped biochar to activate PMS to degrade p-chlorophenol, thereby avoiding the environmental harm of metal leaching during catalyst degradation.

Integrated ozone-sono-Fenton for the enhanced degradation of acid orange 7: process optimization and kinetic evaluation.

The performance of novel hybrid advanced oxidation, ozone-sono-Fenton process in degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7), as a model of azo dyes was modelled and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). Utilizing a bubbling reactor equipped with an ultrasound probe and in the presence of Fenton reagents, a promising hybrid homogeneous AOP, ozone-sono-Fenton, was investigated. According to the experimental results, the variation trend of degradation efficiency (DE%) with pH, reaction time and Fe2+/H2O2 molar ratio was modelled with the reduced quadratic model. Additionally, the suitability of the model was indicated with close to unity regression coefficient [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the comparative study of degradation efficiency and COD removal for the individual methods including ozonation, sonication and Fenton reagents as well as their hybrid processes reveals that the novel proposed technique, ozone-sono-Fenton process, is able to rapid and complete degradation of acid orange 7 with initial concentration of 300mg L-1, 100% in only 12min. The complete degradation was obtained under optimum conditions such as pH = 6, reaction time = 12min and Fe2+/H2O2 molar ratio = 0.0040. The kinetics evaluation of the acid orange 7 concentration during the processing implied the first-order reaction. Considering the synergetic effect and cost-effectiveness of the hybrid method, the promising ozone-sono-Fenton method could effectively degrade using a wide range of organic contaminants.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship for the oxidation of organic contaminants by peracetic acid using GA-MLR method

Peracetic acid (PAA) is considered as an effective and powerful oxidant for eliminating organic contaminants in wastewater treatment. The second-order rate constant (kapp) for the reaction of PAA with organic contaminants is practically important for evaluating their removal efficiency in wastewater treatment, but only limited numbers of kapp values are available. In this study, 70 organic compounds with various structures were selected, and the kapp of PAA with each organic compound was used to develop two quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models based on three kinds of descriptors including constitutional, quantum chemical, and the PaDEL descriptors. The genetic algorithm (GA) was applied to select the molecular descriptors, then the models developed by multiple linear regression (MLR). The most important descriptors that explain the reactivity of organic compounds with PAA are the EHOMO for the model with the constitutional and quantum chemical descriptors. The maxHdsCH and minHdCH2 are two most important descriptors for the model with only PaDEL descriptors. The developed models can be used to predict kapp for a wide range of organic contaminants. The accuracy of the developed models was proved by the internal, external validation and the Y-scrambling technique. The developed QSAR models using the GA-MLR method can be used as a screening tool for predicting the elimination of organic contaminants by PAA and increasing the understanding of chemical pollutant fate.

A Review of Microalgae- and Cyanobacteria-Based Biodegradation of Organic Pollutants.

This review proposes a new bioremediation method based on the diverse functionalities of algae. A greenway for cleansing wastewater is more ecologically friendly and environmentally sustainable than prior methods with other bacteria. New bioremediation technology employing algae and cyanobacteria for the removal of a wide range of organic contaminants is reasonable and has great potential. The prevalence of organic contaminants in aquatic habitats may endanger the health and well-being of several marine creatures. Agriculture, industry, and household trash are just a few of the human-caused sources of organic pollutants that contaminate waterways around the world. Before wastewater can be released into waterways, it must be cleaned. Algae-based wastewater treatment systems are becoming increasingly popular because of their environmental sustainability and lack of secondary pollutants. According to the kind of pollutant, the physicochemical properties of wastewater, and the algal species, algae and cyanobacteria can absorb and accumulate a wide spectrum of organic pollutants at different rates. In addition, phytoremediation is a cost-effective alternative to conventional treatments for degrading organic contaminants. Phycoremediationally produced algal biomass may also be an important part of the bioenergy value chain. This article focuses on microalgae and cyanobacteria species, which may remove many organic contaminants from water systems.

A Novel Machine Learning Model to Predict the Photo-Degradation Performance of Different Photocatalysts on a Variety of Water Contaminants

This paper describes an innovative machine learning (ML) model to predict the performance of different metal oxide photocatalysts on a wide range of contaminants. The molecular structures of metal oxide photocatalysts are encoded with a crystal graph convolution neural network (CGCNN). The structure of organic compounds is encoded via digital molecular fingerprints (MF). The encoded features of the photocatalysts and contaminants are input to an artificial neural network (ANN), named as CGCNN-MF-ANN model. The CGCNN-MF-ANN model has achieved a very good prediction of the photocatalytic degradation rate constants by different photocatalysts over a wide range of organic contaminants. The effects of the data training strategy on the ML model performance are compared. The effects of different factors on photocatalytic degradation performance are further evaluated by feature importance analyses. Examples are illustrated on the use of this novel ML model for optimal photocatalyst selection and for assessing other types of photocatalysts for different environmental applications.

Recovery of CuO/C catalyst from spent anode material in battery to activate peroxymonosulfate for refractory organic contaminants degradation

It is critical to developing low-cost and efficient catalysts to activate peroxymonosulfate for the degradation of organic contaminants, whereas it remains challenging. In the study, a recycle method to synthesize efficient heterogeneous catalysts was developed by exploiting the anode electrode of spent lithium-ion batteries as the raw material based on a one-step calcination process. The recycled anode material (AM) composed of copper oxide and graphite carbon was capable of efficiently activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade a wide range of organic contaminants. In addition, an investigation was conducted on the effect of reactive parameters (e.g., catalyst dose, PMS dose, RhB concentration, and coexisting matters). Besides, the AM/PMS process could exhibit high effectiveness at a broad pH range (3–10) and in a real water matrix. The redox cycle of Cu(II)/Cu(I) in the AM acted as the predominated force to effectively facilitate the PMS activation for the formation of oxygen species, in which the SO4·− and 1O2 exerted a primary effect. Moreover, the non-radical pathway of electron transfer between RhB and PMS facilitated the removal of RhB. In this study, a reclamation approach was developed for the recycling of spent LIBs anodes, and insights into the development of catalysts in SR-AOPs were gained.

Synergistic effects of Co and N doped on graphitic carbon as an in situ surface-bound radical generation for the rapid degradation of emerging contaminants

• Co-anchored on N doped graphitized carbon material (Gc-N-Co) was prepared. • Gc-N-Co has a higher CIP degradation and PMS decomposition. • Co-ordination of the pyridinic N and Co was a predominant factor. • Surface-bound (SO 4 •− ) radical was the dominant mechanism. • The influence of pH, temperature, and background ions was observed. Co-anchored on N doped graphitized carbon material (Gc-N-Co) was synthesized using glucose and melamine as carbon and nitrogen source, respectively. The prepared Gc-N-Co demonstrate a higher removal efficiency and PMS (peroxymonosulfate) decomposition compared to other control catalyst of Gc-N and Gc-Co, implying a synergistic effect between the precursor materials. The high performance was attributed to the co-ordination between the pyridinic N and Co forming N-Co bonds on the catalyst surface capable of degrading a wide range of organic contaminants (ciprofloxacin, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and 4-chlorophenol). Surface-bound (SO 4 •− ) radical was established as the dominant mechanism of the reaction process based on the quenching experiments and EPR tests. The activation energy (E a ) of 26.4 kJ/mol further established that an intrinsic chemical reaction takes place on the catalyst surface rather than in solution. Also, the electrostatic attraction observed at neutral pH validates the surface interaction between the surface-bound SO 4 •- radical and the organic molecules. The negative influence of inorganic ions followed the order of SO 4 2- > Cl - > NO 3 - , and the positive effect of HCO 3 – was discussed. In addition, Gc-N-Co demonstrate excellent reusability in four consecutive cycles consolidating on the presence of the strong N-Co bonds.

A Comprehensive Review of Effective Adsorbents Used for the Removal of Dyes from Wastewater

Aim: The objective of the review paper aims to explore and to provide the insight of various low-cost adsorbents prepared and used in the removal of hazardous dye pollutants from the contaminated industrial effluents. Background: The major untreated discharge from the textile industries constitutes a wide range of organic contaminants with the enhanced concentration of biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand inthe water bodies. Dyes are considered as the major water contaminants and this quest the researchers to adopt various technologies to remove the hazardous dye pollutants from the aquatic environment. Dyes are the chemical compounds that tend to adhere themselves with metal or salts by covalent bond formation or complexes by mechanical retention or physical adsorption so as to impart colours to which it is being applied. Objective: Numerous treatment methodologies which have been applied to the degradation of dyes. The current study has been focused on the distinct low cost and cost-effective adsorbents used in the removal of various dye pollutants. Also, the application of nanoparticles in the removal of the hazardous dye pollutants had received great interest because of its size and high reactive nature. Methods: The treatment technologies used in the removal of dye pollutants from wastewater have been listed as adsorption, coagulation, electrocoagulation, flocculation, membrane filtration, oxidation and biological treatment. Results: The complex structure of the dyes causes a great harmful impact on the aquatic environment. Though numerous treatment technologies have been applied, adsorption has been preferred by various researchers because of its cost-effective nature. Conclusion: The various adsorbents are used in the removal of cationic, anionic and non-ionic dyes. The different types of adsorbent from agricultural waste, activated carbons, nanomaterials and biomaterials have been discussed with the advantages and limitations.

Screening and Distribution of Contaminants of Emerging Concern and Regulated Organic Pollutants in the Heavily Modified Guadalhorce River Basin, Southern Spain

Emerging pollutants have aroused an increasing concern due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and harmful potential. Both emerging (e.g., pharmaceuticals and personal care products) and regulated organic pollutants pose a serious threat to water quality and their presence and spatial distribution are complicated to address as they can derive from several factors: distribution of point and diffuse sources, environmental conditions, hydrogeological features of the region and inherent properties of the considered contaminants. In this study, a ground and surface water monitoring campaign was conducted in the three main detritic groundwater bodies of an extensive and heavily modified river basin in order to draft an initial description of the occurrence and distribution of a wide range of organic contaminants. In total, 63 out of 185 target pollutants were detected. An attempt to understand the importance of different factors governing the distribution of some of the most frequently found pollutants was made. Antibiotics spatial distribution is potentially influenced by the hydrogeological functioning of the basin modified by hydraulic infrastructures (reflected by hydrochemistry and environmental tracers δ2H and δ18O), not directly related to the distribution of potential sources. The presence of other organic pollutants does not reflect an evident correlation with flow pathways. Differences in contaminant occurrence are potentially attributed to the way pollutants are released into the environment as well as physico-chemical properties.

Biochar-based materials and their applications in removal of organic contaminants from wastewater: state-of-the-art review

As a class of famous carbon materials, biochars (BCs) and their derivative materials with excellent physicochemical properties and diversified functionalities present great potential in wastewater treatment fields. This review focuses on the latest development in reported biochar-based materials as superior adsorbents or catalysts for removing harmful organic contaminants from wastewater. The construction and properties of biochar-based materials are briefly introduced at the beginning. As one of the major factors affecting the properties of BCs, the wide diversity of feedstocks, such as agricultural and forest residues, industrial by-products as well as municipal wastes, endows BCs different chemical compositions and structures. Woody and herbaceous BCs usually have higher carbon contents, larger surface areas and strong aromaticity, which is in favor of the organic contaminant removal. Driven by the desire of more cost-effective materials, several types of biochar-based hybrid materials, such as magnetic BC composites (MBC), nanometal/nanometallic oxides/hydroxide BC composites and layered nanomaterial-coated BCs, as well as physically/chemically activated BCs, have also been developed. With the help of foreign materials, these types of hybrid BCs have excellent capacities to remove a wide range of organic contaminants, including organic dyestuff, phenols and chemical intermediates, as well as pharmaceutically active compounds, from aquatic solutions. Depending on the different types of biochar-based materials, organic contaminants can be removed by different mechanisms, such as physical adsorption, electrostatic interaction, π–π interaction and Fenton process, as well as photocatalytic degradation. In summary, the low cost, tunable surface chemistry and excellent physical–chemical properties of BCs allow it to be a potential material in organic contaminant removal. The combination of BCs with foreign materials endows BCs more functionalities and broader development opportunities. Considering the urgent demand of practical wastewater treatment, we hope more researches will focus on the applications and commercialization of biochar-based materials.

Industrial and natural compounds in filter-feeding black fly larvae and water in 3 tundra streams.

We report concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, novel flame retardants, and naturally occurring bromoanisoles in water and filter-feeding black fly (Simuliidae) larvae in 3 tundra streams in northern Sweden. The results demonstrate that black fly larvae accumulate a wide range of organic contaminants and can be used as bioindicators of water pollution in Arctic streams. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:3011-3017. © 2018 SETAC.

Accelerated Oxidation of Organic Contaminants by Ferrate(VI): The Overlooked Role of Reducing Additives.

This paper presents an accelerated ferrate(VI) (FeVIO42-, FeVI) oxidation of contaminants in 30 s by adding one-electron and two-electron transfer reductants (R(1) and R(2)). An addition of R(2) (e.g., NH2OH, AsIII, SeIV, PIII, and NO2-, and S2O32-) results in FeIV initially, while FeV is generated with the addition of R(1) (e.g., SO32-). R(2) additives, except S2O32-, show the enhanced oxidation of 20-40% of target contaminant, trimethoprim (TMP). Comparatively, enhanced oxidation of TMP was up to 100% with the addition of R(1) to FeVI. Interestingly, addition of S2O32- (i.e., R(2)) also achieves the enhanced oxidation to 100%. Removal efficiency of TMP depends on the molar ratio ([R(1)]:[FeVI] or [R(2)]:[FeVI]). Most of the reductants have the highest removal at molar ratio of ∼0.125. A FeVI-S2O32- system also oxidizes rapidly a wide range of organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, artificial sweetener, and X-ray contrast media) in water and real water matrices. FeV and FeIV as the oxidative species in the FeVI-S2O32--contaminant system are elucidated by determining removal of contaminants in oxygenated and deoxygenated water, applying probing agent, and identifying oxidized products of TMP and sulfadimethoxine (SDM) by FeVI-S2O32- systems. Significantly, elimination of SO2 from sulfonamide (i.e., SDM) is observed for the first time.

Sunlight mediated passive wastewater treatment technology using photochemical reduction of ferric iron for decontamination of various aqueous contaminants

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of a very simple and novel, “passive” sunlight mediated photochemical process using ferric chloride for degradation of a wide range of organic contaminants. Batch experiments were conducted under natural sunlight to study the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ), sulfolane and acid extractable organics of oil sands process water (OSPW) in the presence of 100 mg/L of ferric chloride at pH 2.7–3. The efficacy of the process was also evaluated by studying the degradation of the contaminants in actual wastewater and groundwater samples. All three contaminants were resistant to photodegradation under sunlight in the absence of ferric chloride. CBZ in wastewater and pure water was completely degraded in the presence of ferric species under sunlight within 2 h. Kinetics of degradation of CBZ was fastest in groundwater as more than 99.9% of CBZ was degraded within 30 min. Rate of reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) was proportional to kinetics of CBZ degradation in aqueous samples. Over an irradiation period of 7 h, more than 50% of TOC was removed by sunlight mediated iron reduction of CBZ in spiked water and secondary treated wastewater. In contrast to CBZ, sulfolane degraded faster in deionised water (4.5 h−1) with more than 50% reduction in TOC. Unaltered rates of increase in Fe(II) concentration in groundwater spiked with sulfolane and CBZ signifies the presence of easily degradable organics in groundwater competing with sulfolane for the reactive species. GC–MS analysis showed more than 60% reduction in acid extractable organics present in OSPW 7 h of sunlight irradiation in the presence of ferric chloride. Overall, photochemical iron reduction shows great promise as highly sustainable treatment process for decontamination of variety of recalcitrant contaminants in their inherent aquatic environments with marginal effects imparted by other aquatic species.