Rapid degradation of endosulfan by zero-valent zinc in water and soil

Endosulfan has been included in the list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in 2011. The degradation of endosulfan by zero-valent zinc in water and soil was first investigated. The results showed that >90% endosulfan could be degraded in 180 min. The degradation was accelerated under acidic conditions with the absence of dissolved oxygen, while the nature of the soil only exhibited a negligible effect. The half-life was decreased from 130.75 min to 41.75 min with the increment of Zn(0) from 0.1 g to 1 g in soil. The use of Zn(0) was more effective than Fe(0) for the degradation of endosulfan with a half-life of 110 min and 330 min. The cationic surfactant was more effective at enhancing the degradation of endosulfan than anionic and nonionic surfactant. The degradation pathway was speculated, and four chlorine of endosulfan were proposed to be reduced. The method exhibited obvious advantages over traditional endosulfan treatments, and the research results will lay a foundation for practical application of the method.