Degradation of bisphenol A using sonochemical reactions

The sonochemical degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution, a suspected endocrine disruptor, which can cause several damages for humans, animals and the environment, was investigated at different ultrasonic intensities under air atmosphere. Bisphenol A (0.50 mM) was completely degraded after 10, 3 and 2 h of ultrasonic irradiation at a frequency of 404 kHz, and intensities of 3.5, 9.0 and 12.9 kW/m2, respectively. During ultrasonic irradiation, some aromatic intermediates such as 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propane, commonly known as 3-hydroxybisphenol A were detected. Further cleavage of the aromatic rings resulted in other products, like formaldehyde and organic acids, also being detected. The proposed pathways of bisphenol A degradation by ultrasonic irradiation are based on the above-mentioned intermediates. The relationship between bisphenol A degradation and formation of hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid was taken into account, correlating this to the radicals that take part in the degradation process. In order to optimize the performance of the ultrasonic system, additional experiments using Fenton-like reactions were also carried out. However, the addition of iron (II) sulfate (FeSO4) did not increase bisphenol A degradation rates. Compared with the system without iron (II) sulfate, the total organic carbon concentration (TOC) was reduced by about 30%, at 404 kHz and 9.0 kW/m2.