Oxidative Degradation of 2-chlorophenol by Persulfate

The degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) by persulfate was investigated. The kinetics of persulfate oxidation of 2-chlorophenol in aqueous solutions at various pH, oxidant concentration, temperature, Fe2+ and Cu2+ ions content was studied. Maximum of 2-CP degradation occurred at pH 8. The oxidation rate of 2-CP increased with increasing the persulfate molar excess. The degradation process was significantly influenced by temperature – the higher temperature results in a faster degradation of 2-CP. The activation of persulfate by ferrous and copper ions was also studied. Results showed that persulfate is activated more effectively by iron(II) than copper(II) ions. A comparison of different persulfate activation methods revealed that heat-activation was the most effective. Under optimal conditions, in the presence of ferrous ions at 50 °C, complete degradation of 2-chlorophenol was achieved after about 30 minutes.