Advanced oxidation processes are widely used to remove petroleum hydrocarbons from soil, but usually consume large quantities of ferrous and acidify the soil. Our study tested an advanced oxidation approach based on percarbonate in laboratory experiments. It removed 64% petroleum hydrocarbons in soil with a pH increase from 8.4 to 10.6. Hydroxyl radical and carbonate radical were the main reactive species responsible for the degradation. The o-dihydroxybenzene structure in catechin was found to reduce ferric to ferrous, and prolong the generation of hydroxyl radical from 120 s to over 1800 s. The petroleum hydrocarbons were degraded to intermediates including alkanes and olefins through hydrogen-abstraction by hydroxyl radical and carbonate radical, and by dimerization and β-scission of alkyl radicals. These intermediates were then oxidized to CO2 and H2O by hydroxyl radical and carbonate radical. The main residual intermediates in the soil were low-molecular-weight n-alkanes and branched alkanes, and they were found to inhibit the growth of oats (Avena sativa L.) much less than the original petroleum hydrocarbons. These findings provide a fundamental basis for designing effective technologies which use percarbonate to remove organic pollutants.

Efficient removal of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil by percarbonate with the catalysis of a catechin-promoted redox cycling of Fe(III)/Fe(II): Activation of ferrous and roles of hydroxyl radical and carbonate radical

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