Enhanced PAHs-contaminated site soils remediation by mixed persulfate and calcium peroxide

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remain in the site soils after relocated coking plants and oil refineries pose huge constraints to the subsequent land utilization. However, single persulfate (PS) or calcium peroxide (CP) remediation strategies can only inefficiently oxidize some PAHs in soil. This work sought to optimize PS/CP oxidation remediation strategy and verify its practical application effect in soil samples spiked with PAHs. The results showed that the mixed PS/CP oxidation remediation was better than the single oxidants strategies; it had high remediation performance in different particles and pollution loads of PAHs-contaminated soils. Simultaneously, reactive radicals (SO4·- and ·OH) were detected, and one side-product (CaSO4) was characterized. This work optimized the mixed PS/CP system (0.3 mol/L PS, and 8 g/kg CP, together with 0.18 mol/L Fe2+ and 0.11 mol/L C2O42-), and the corresponding Total-PAHs removal rate was 85.41%. Compared to the cost based on benzopyrene (BaP) removal, the study provided a cost-effective mixed PS/CP oxidation remediation technique (1.22 $/ton), widely applicable in soils polluted with various organic contaminants represented such as PAHs.