UV activated sodium percarbonate to accelerate degradation of atrazine: Mechanism, intermediates, and evaluation on residual toxicity by metabolomics

Abstract

Efficient and safe removal of widely used herbicides such as atrazine has become a recent hotspot. Herein, UV driven sodium percarbonate system (UV/SPC) was established to have many advantages in remediation of atrazine contamination. The mechanism and environmental risk of intermediates were explored, which provided information for the feasibility of UV/SPC. The degradation efficiency of atrazine was significantly enhanced as the increasing dosage of SPC. Quenching assay identified that •OH and CO3•− were committed to degrading atrazine. Humic acid and HPO42− remarkably inhibited atrazine degradation. Several intermediates were generated through the dealkylation, dechlorination-hydroxylation, alkylic-hydroxylation, alkyl oxidation and olefination reactions. Toxicity prediction proved that acute toxicity and bioaccumulation of intermediates were mitigated comparing with atrazine. Based on metabolomics results, the alteration of key metabolites such as citrate, L-kynurenine, malic acid, putrescine, glutamine, spermine, ethanolamine and phytosphingosine in various metabolic pathways of E.coli verified that the toxicity of atrazine was weakened after UV/SPC treatment. The application of UV/SPC on atrazine removal in real waters was influenced by environmental factors, and might be improved through coupling with other treatment technologies.

Keywords

• Atrazine
• Sodium percarbonate
• Active radicals species
• Degradation intermediates
• Metabolomics analysis