Photochemical degradation of environmentally persistent perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the presence of Fe(III)

摘要

Environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) was difficult to be decomposed under the irradiation of 254 nm UV light. However, in the presence of 80 mu mol/L Fe(III), 80% of PFOA with initial concentration of 48 mu mol/L (20 mg/L) was effectively degraded and 47.8% of fluorine atoms in PFOA molecule were transformed into inorganic fluoride ion after 4 h reaction. Shorter chain perfluorocarboxylic acids bearing C-3-C-7 and fluoride ion were detected and identified by LC/MS and IC as the degradation products in the aqueous solution. It was proposed that complexes of PFOA with Fe(III) initiated degradation of PFOA irradiated with 254 nm UV light. (c) 2007 Peng Yi Zhang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.