UV-activated permanganate process for micro-organic pollutant degradation: efficiency, mechanism and influencing factors

Abstract Ultraviolet-activated permanganate (UV/PM) process is a novel advanced oxidation (AOP), but its application potential remains to be evaluated. This work investigates the degradation of refractory organic pollutant by UV/PM in terms efficiency, mechanism, and influencing factors. The target compound benzoic acid (BA), which micro-organic resistant PM UV treatment, can efficiently degraded UV/PM. electron paramagnetic resonance spectra directly supported formation hydroxyl radical (HO•) superoxide from photolysis PM. Competitive kinetics experiments verified that acted as precursor HO• good performance BA was due involvement manganese(V). rate constants showed positive linear relationship with dosage range 0.5–20 mg·L−1, significantly influenced solution pH natural matters insensitive chloride bicarbonate at environmentally relevant concentrations. Compared typical UV-based AOP UV/hydrogen peroxide, little inferior, indicating optimization enhancement needed for this before possible practical application.