Degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) from explosive wastewater using nanoscale zero-valent iron

The degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in wastewater using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was investigated. The results showed that >99% TNT was degraded when the initial TNT concentration was 80 mg L−1 after degradation for 3 h by 5 g L−1 of nZVI at pH 4, 40 °C using a rotary oscillation incubator operating at 200 rpm. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics model fit the kinetics of TNT degradation by nZVI well. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry showed that TNT was adsorbed on the surface of nZVI, and this reduced TNT in aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the surface of nZVI changed during the degradation of TNT.