Oxidative removal of acetaminophen using zero valent aluminum-acid system: efficacy, influencing factors, and reaction mechanism.
Commercial available zero valent aluminum under air-equilibrated acidic conditions (ZVA1/H+/air system) demonstrated an excellent capacity to remove aqueous organic compounds. Acetaminophen (ACTM), the active ingredient of the over-the-counter drug Tylenol, is widely present in the aquatic environment and therefore the treatment of ACTM-contaminated water calls for further research. Herein we investigated the oxidative removal of ACTM by ZVA1/H+/air system and the reaction mechanism. In acidic solutions (pH < 3.5), ZVA1 displayed an excellent capacity to remove ACTM. More than 99% of ACTM was eliminated within 16 hr in pH 1.5 reaction solutions initially containing 2.0 g/L aluminum and 2.0 mg/L ACTM at 25 +/- 1 degree C. Higher temperature and lower pH facilitated ACTM removal. The addition of different iron species Fe0, Fe2+ and Fe3+ into ZVA1/H+/air system dramatically accelerated the reaction likely due to the enhancing transformation of H2O2 to HO. via Fenton's reaction. Furthermore, the primary intermediate hydroquinone and the anions formate, acetate and nitrate, were identified and a possible reaction scheme was proposed. This work suggested that ZVA1/H+/air system may be potentially employed to treat ACTM-contaminated water.
College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China. 2. Shangyu Environmental Monitoring Station, Shaoxing 312300, China. zhh124@zjut.edu.cn
Honghua
H
Zhang
Beipei
B
Cao
Wanpeng
W
Liu
Kunde
K
Lin
Jun
J
Feng
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000082:Acetaminophen; D000535:Aluminum; D007501:Iron