Insight into Chinese medicine residue biochar combined with ultrasound for persulfate activation in atrazine degradation: Acanthopanax senticosus precursors, synergistic effects and toxicity assessment

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2023-07, Vol.880, p.163054-163054, Article 163054
• Main Authors: Jia, Wenrui, Wang, Huazhe, Wu, Qinglian, Sun, Lushi, Si, Qishi, Zhao, Qi, Wu, Yaohua, Ren, Nanqi, Guo, Wanqian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: atrazine; Atrazine - analysis; Atrazine - toxicity; Atrazine degradation; biochar; Charcoal - chemistry; Chinese medicinal residue biochar; Eleutherococcus; Eleutherococcus senticosus; environment; luminescence; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Metals; Oriental traditional medicine; oxidation; Persulfate activation; pollutants; porosity; risk; solid wastes; synergism; toxicity; Toxicity assessment; Ultrasonic; ultrasonics; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163054

The synergistic activation of persulfate by multiple factors could degrade pollutants more efficiently. However, the co-activation method based on metal ions has the risk of leakage. The non-metallic coupling method could achieve the same efficiency as the metal activation and meanwhile release environmental stress. In this study, the original biochar (BC) was prepared through using Chinese medicinal residue of Acanthopanax senticosus as the precursor. Compared with other biochar, the pore size structure was higher and toxicity risk was lower. The ultrasonic (US)/Acanthopanax senticosus biochar (ASBC)/persulfate oxidation system was established for Atrazine (ATZ). Results showed that 45KHz in middle and low frequency band cooperated with ASBC600 to degrade nearly 70 % of ATZ within 50 min, and US promoted the formation of SO4− and OH. Meanwhile, the synergy index of US and ASBC was calculated to be 1.18, which showed positive synergistic effect. Finally, the potential toxicity was examined by using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and luminescent bacteria. This study provides a promising way for the activation of persulfate, which is expected to bring a new idea for the win-win situation of pollutant degradation and solid waste resource utilization. [Display omitted] •Acanthopanax senticosus was used to prepare BC and first for PMS activation.•Medium low frequency US had best effect on PMS activation.•US and ASBC have positive synergistic effect in system, synergistic index is 1.18.•TPLC and luminescent bacteria were used to evaluate the toxicity level of system.