Surfactant Enhancement in Degradation of Phenanthrene Contaminated Soil by Sodium Persulfate

To enhance phenanthrene degradation in soil, the effects of four surfactants on the thermal activation of sodium persulfate (SPS) were investigated. Sodium dodecyl diphenyl ether disulfonate (C₁₂-MADS) was found to stabilize SPS by reducing the generation of sulfate radicals from its thermal decomposition. Optimal conditions for the surfactant-assisted persulfate system were determined to be 5 g/L of C₁₂-MADS at a temperature of 60°C, achieving an 89.80% removal efficiency of phenanthrene in soil. The presence of OH^- increased the system pH and decreased the removal efficiency. These results demonstrate that C₁₂-MADS significantly enhanced the oxidation of phenanthrene and improves SPS utilization efficiency, contributing to the development of an effective surfactant-assisted persulfate system for soil decontamination.