Activated persulfate for organic chemical degradation: A review

• Activated persulfate has extensive application for environmental remediation.
• Electrochemical and activated carbon persulfate activation are presented.
• Novel means of activating persulfate for removal of organic species are discussed.
• Manipulation of traditional persulfate activation for analyte removal is reviewed.
• Summarized experiments include over seventy organic compounds.

Activated persulfate reactions have widespread application for groundwater and environmental remediation, as many of these reactions involve destruction of environmental contaminants. Within the last five years, knowledge of activated persulfate degradation reactions has grown to include novel means of activating persulfate for enhanced removal of organic species. These current studies cover a long list of organic analytes, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, halogenated compounds and dyes. An extensive review of recently published experimental parameters and results for the destruction of organic compounds via activated persulfate is presented. Focus is placed on emerging methodologies and manipulation of traditional activation techniques. Knowledge gaps are identified and discussed, as despite the number of publications on this subject, more broad-reaching guidelines are needed for optimizing applications of activated persulfate in water treatment.

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