Efficient degradation method of emerging organic pollutants in marine environment using UV/periodate process: Case of chlorazol black

Sea has historically been subject to high anthropogenic pressures of direct and indirect loads of emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) from intensive industrial and agricultural activities. Photoactivated periodate (UV/IO4−) is an innovative oxidation technique that was never tested in seawater as pollutants matrix. In this work, we attempted to investigate the treatment of seawater contaminated with chlorazol black (CB) dye, as a model of EOPs, using photoactivated periodate process. It was found that periodate (0.5 mM) assisted-UV treatment of CB (20 mg L− 1) in seawater resulted in 13.16-fold increase in the initial degradation rate, compared to UV alone, and 82% of CB was removed after 40 min face to 38% under UV alone. The beneficial effect of UV/IO4− treatment is strongly dependent on operational parameters. More interestingly, SDS surfactant, as an organic matter, did not affect the degradation process, making UV/IO4− a promising technique for treating seawater contaminated with EOPs.