The study progress and application of dithionite reduction technology in the treatment of environmental pollutants

Environmental pollution has seriously influenced the human health and ecological security. As a strong reducing agent, dithionite has been gradually drawing the attention of researchers and engineers in the environmental field. Studies had been conducted by employing dithionite to treat the pollutants such as halogenated organic compounds, oxyacid salts, and heavy metals. However, few works were focusing on the dithionite reduction, especially the dithionite detection. This report aimed to review the characteristic of dithionite including the chemical properties and detection methods. The research progressing on the treatment of environmental pollutants by the reactive species generated from dithionite was also summarised. However, ultraviolet seemed to be the only choice of the dithionite activation methods, no matter what pollutant was to be degraded. Accordingly, the research, on the development of dithionite detection and activation methods, was prospected.