• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.812-813
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• 1998

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.405-419
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• 2018

Persulfates (i.e., peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate) are capable of oxidizing a wide range of organic compounds via direct reactions, as well as by indirect reactions by the radical intermediates. In aqueous solution, persulfates undergo self-decomposition, which is accelerated by thermal, photochemical and metal-catalyzed methods, which usually involve the generation of various radical species. The chemistry of persulfates has been studied since the early twentieth century. However, its environmental application has recently gained attention, as persulfates show promise in in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) for soil and groundwater remediation. Persulfates are known to have both reactivity and persistence in the subsurface, which can provide advantages over other oxidants inclined toward either of the two properties. Besides the ISCO applications, recent studies have shown that the persulfate oxidation also has the potential for wastewater treatment and disinfection. This article reviews the chemistry regarding the hydrolysis, photolysis and catalysis of persulfates and the reactions of persulfates with organic compounds in aqueous solution. This article is intended to provide insight into interpreting the behaviors of the contaminant oxidation by persulfates, as well as developing new persulfate-based oxidation technologies.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.231-237
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• 2019

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in combination with Cu(II) was examined to inactivate E. coli and MS2 coliphage in natural water. The combined system (i.e., the Cu(II)/PMS system) caused a synergistic inactivation of E. coli and MS2, in contrast with either Cu(II) or PMS alone. Increasing the concentration of PMS enhanced the inactivation of E. coli and MS2, but after a certain point, it decreased the efficacy of the microbial inactivation. In the Cu(II)/PMS system, adding reactive oxidant scavengers marginally affected the E. coli inactivation, but the inhibitory effects of copper-chelating agents were significant. Fluorescent assays indicated that the Cu(II)/PMS system greatly increased the level of reactive oxidants inside the E. coli cells. The sequential addition of Cu(II) and PMS inactivated more E. coli than did adding the two simultaneously; in particular, the inactivation efficacy was much higher when Cu(II) was added first. The observations from the study collectively showed that the microbial inactivation by the Cu(II)/PMS system could be attributed to the toxicity of Cu(I) as well as the intracellular oxidative stress induced by Cu(III) or radical species.