(60ab) Metal Free Activation of Sodium Percarbonate By Wheat Straw Biochar for the Degradation of Sulfamethazine

The degradation of sulfamethazine (SMZ) by sodium percarbonate (SPC) activated with wheat straw biochar (WSB) was investigated in this study. The results confirmed the green and low cost carbon characteristics of wheat straw biochar through exceptional catalytic reactivity for the metal free activation of SPC to degrade SMZ. Increasing the dosage of SPC increased the SMZ degradation rate initially, but decreased gradually with the passage of time. The degradation of SMZ activated by WSB/SPC system was achieved with generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) i.e. hydroxyl and superoxide radicals mainly on the surface of the WSB. Phenols and alcohols were used as scavengers in this study. The effect of initial pH was found dominant in the WSB/SPC system for the degradation of SMZ. The degradation efficiency of SMZ was decreased with different initial pH conditions as per following sequence i.e. pH 5.6 > pH 2.3) > pH 9). The dominant pH effect on SMZ degradation in the WSB/SPC system elucidated the significant adsorption on the surface of WSB.