Degradation of carbofuran in aqueous solution using persulfate/Fe2+/ultrasound treatment system

Carbofuran is a methylcarbamate pesticide used in agricultural sectors and its overexposure in humans could cause coma, blurred vision and nausea. This study investigated the degradation of carbofuran in aqueous solution using persulfate/Fe2+/ultrasound process. To date, many researchers have been investigating the applicability of sulfate radicals in the degradation of organic contaminants, but this is the first-time sulfate radicals combined with US and Fe2+ (PS/Fe2+/US) were used to treat carbofuran in aqueous solution. Carbofuran removal was evaluated as a function of Fe2+ concentration, persulfate concentration, reaction time, and ultrasonic power. The result showed that 74.9% of COD and 67.5% TOC removals were achieved within 13 min of reaction time at carbofuran concentration of 30 mg/L, Fe2+ concentration of 350 mg/L, and ultrasound power of 80 W. Additionally, the FTIR analysis of the treated and untreated samples revealed that the persulfate/Fe2+/US process successfully oxidized high-molecular-weight substances into small organic compounds. This study also showed that the Persulfate/Fe2+/US process had generated significantly less sludge as compared to the conventional Fenton process. In conclusion, the results confirmed the success of the persulfate/Fe2+/US advanced oxidation process and will probably open up a new remediation strategy to treat various recalcitrant organic pollutants.