Degradation of atenolol via heterogeneous activation of persulfate by using BiOCl@Fe3O4 catalyst under simulated solar light irradiation

Efficient oxidative degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments is of great importance. This study used magnetic BiOCl@Fe3O4 catalyst to activate persulfate (PS) under simulated solar light irradiation. This degradation system was evaluated using atenolol (ATL) as target pollutant. Four reactive species were identified in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe3O4/PS system. The decreasing order of the contribution of each reactive species on ATL degradation was as follows: h(+) approximate to HO center dot > O-2 (center dot-) > SO4 (center dot-). pH significantly influenced ATL degradation, and an acidic condition favored the reaction. High degradation efficiencies were obtained at pH 2.3-5.5. ATL degradation rate increased with increased catalyst and PS contents. Moreover, ATL mineralization was higher in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe3O4/PS system than in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe3O4 or sunlight/PS system. Nine possible intermediate products were identified through LC-MS analysis, and a degradation pathway for ATL was proposed. The BiOCl@Fe3O4 nanomagnetic composite catalyst was synthesized in this work. This catalyst was easily separated and recovered from a treated solution by using a magnet, and it demonstrated a high catalytic activity. Increased amount of the BiOCl@Fe3O4 catalyst obviously accelerated the efficiency of ATL degradation, and the reusability of the catalyst allowed the addition of a large dosage of BiOCl@Fe3O4 to improve the degradation efficiency.