Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Degradation in Hazardous Waste Using Microwave Peroxide Oxidation and Acid

Microwave peroxide oxidation (MPO) has been demonstrated as an energy-efficient and low-GHG emission technology for destroying hazardous organic compounds in solid waste. The objective of this article was to study the degradation feasibility of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in hazardous wastes using MPO treatment with selected acid combinations. Three EDCs, nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs), contained in different hazardous wastes (i.e., fly ash, soil, and sludge cake) were adopted in this work. Over 85% of the EDCs, including the persistent PCDDs/Fs in raw wastes could be degraded in 60min at the temperature of 450K using the MPO treatment. One of the most interesting findings is that nearly all NPs and BPAs, over 99%, in hazardous wastes could be degraded in 20min at the temperature of 450K. Degradation efficiency in order was NP, BPA, and PCDDs/Fs. It is concluded that MPO with selected acid combination provided the potential to destroy the EDC contents in hazardous wastes down to a low level as a function of the treatment time. Some problems caused by the MPO method are also delineated in this article.