Comparison of four oxidants activated through tetraacetylethylenediamine for developing sustainable and rapid degradation of organic dye

Four common oxidants, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sodium percarbonate (SPC), sodium perborate (SPB) and sodium persulphate (SPS), were activated with tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) to degrade an azo dye, CI Reactive Red 195, in water, for building a novel and rapid oxidative system comprising the merits of cost-effectiveness and high sustainability. Elevated temperature and high pH level enhanced the activation effect of TAED for accelerating dye degradation. Peracetic acids were confirmed to be the main oxidative species for dye degradation in four TAED/oxidant systems. Hydroxyl radicals and sulphate radicals were also involved in dye degradation in the TAED/SPS system, which showed a stronger oxidative capacity than the other three systems over a wide pH range. More importantly, the addition of inorganic salts or surfactants also favoured the dye degradation in TAED/oxidant systems. Although a slow mineralisation process of the dye was found when the TAED/SPC or SPS system was used, low-toxic intermediates were detected after the degradation.