Subcritical water oxidation of diethyl phthalate using H2O2 and K2S2O8 as oxidizing agents: application of Box-Behnken design

OpenAlex · English

Phthalates are known for their harmful effects on human health, including being carcinogenic, toxic, and causing endocrine disruption. Therefore, removing phthalates from aquatic environments is an important issue for researchers. This study aims to compare the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide (HP) and potassium persulfate (PS) oxidants in degrading diethyl phthalate using the oxidant-assisted subcritical water oxidation method. Additionally, the study statistically examines the effect of operational parameters (temperature, oxidant concentration, and treatment time) on diethyl phthalate degradation using the Box-Behnken design. Results indicated that temperature was the primary parameter affecting diethyl phthalate degradation, with both oxidants fitting a quadratic model. The highest total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate (100%) was achieved when potassium persulfate was used as the oxidant in the oxidation experiments. When hydrogen peroxide was used as the oxidant, the maximum TOC removal efficiency was determined to be 87%.