Hydroxyl radical dominated ibuprofen degradation by UV/percarbonate process: Response surface methodology optimization, toxicity, and cost evaluation

Ibuprofen (IBP) is a typical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with a wide range of applications, large dosages, and environmental durability. Therefore, ultraviolet-activated sodium percarbonate (UV/SPC) technology was developed for IBP degradation. The results showed that IBP could be efficiently removed using UV/SPC. The IBP degradation was enhanced with prolonged UV irradiation time, with the decreasing IBP concentration and the increasing SPC dosage. The UV/SPC degradation of IBP was highly adaptable to pH ranging from 4.05 to 8.03. The degradation rate of IBP reached 100% within 30 min. The optimal experimental conditions for IBP degradation were further optimized using response surface methodology. IBP degradation rate reached 97.3% under the optimal experimental conditions: 5 μM of IBP, 40 μM of SPC, 7.60 pH, and UV irradiation for 20 min. Humic acid, fulvic acid, inorganic anions, and natural water matrix inhibited the IBP degradation to varying degrees. Scavenging experiments of reactive oxygen species indicated that hydroxyl radical played a major role in the UV/SPC degradation of IBP, while carbonate radical played a minor role. Six IBP degradation intermediates were detected, and hydroxylation and decarboxylation were proposed as the primary degradation pathways. An acute toxicity test, based on the inhibition of luminescence in Vibrio fischeri, indicated that the toxicity of IBP during UV/SPC degradation decreased by 11%. An electrical energy per order value of 3.57 kWh m-3 indicated that the UV/SPC process was cost-effective in IBP decomposition. These results provide new insights into the degradation performance and mechanisms of the UV/SPC process, which can potentially be used for practical water treatment in the future.