Degradability of chlorophenols using ferrate(VI) in contaminated groundwater

The production and use of chlorophenolic compounds in industry has led to the introduction of many xenobiotics, among them chlorophenols (CPs), into the environment. Five CPs are listed in the priority pollutant list of the U.S. EPA, with pentachlorophenol (PCP) even being proposed for listing under the Stockholm Convention as a persistent organic pollutant (POP). A green procedure for degrading such pollutants is greatly needed. The use of ferrate could be such a process. This paper studies the degradation of CPs (with an emphasis on PCP) in the presence of ferrate both in a spiked demineralized water system as well as in real contaminated groundwater. Results proved that ferrate was able to completely remove PCP from both water systems. Investigation of the effect of ferrate purity showed that even less pure and thus much cheaper ferrate was applicable. However, with decreasing ferrate purity, the degradability of CPs may be lower.