Photodegradation of 4-tert octylphenol in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III)

4-Tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), a kind of endocrine-disrupting compounds, is widely distributed in natural water surroundings but can hardly be biodegraded. The advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been proved to be an efficient method to degrade 4-t-OP. In this study, the photodegradation of 4-t-OP in aqueous solution promoted by Fe(III) and the photooxidation mechanism were investigated. The ferric perchlorate was added into the aqueous solution for the production of hydroxyl radical. The efficiency of mineralization was monitored by total organic carbon analyzer, and photooxidation products were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer. 4-t-OP (2.4 x 10(-5) M) in aqueous solution was completely degraded after 45 min in the presence of Fe(III) (1.2 x 10(-3) M) under UV irradiation (lambda = 365 nm). The optimal pH was 3.5. Higher Fe(III) concentration or lower initial 4-t-OP concentration led to increased photodegradation efficiency of 4-t-OP. The reaction was almost completely inhibited in the presence of 2-propanol. About 70 % mineralization of the solution was obtained after 50 h. The photooxidation product was supposed to be 4-tert-octyl catechol. 4-t-OP in aqueous solution can be degraded in the presence of Fe(III) under the solar irradiation. The photoinduced degradation is due to the reaction with hydroxyl radicals. It shows that the 4-t-OP is mineralized by the inducement of Fe(III) aquacomplexes, which exposes to solar light. Therefore, the results would provide useful information for the potential application of the AOPs to remove 4-t-OP in water surroundings.