Identification and ecotoxicity assessment of intermediates generated during the degradation of clofibric acid by advanced oxidation processes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the intermediates in clofibric acid degradation under various advanced oxidation processes, namely ultraviolet (UV), UV/H₂O₂, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), VUV/H₂O₂, and solar/TiO₂ processes, as well as to assess the toxicity of these intermediates. Eleven intermediates have been detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer, most of which were reported for the first time to our best knowledge. Combining the evolution of the dissolved organic carbon, Cl^- and specific ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm, it could be deduced that cleavage of aromatic ring followed by dechlorination was the mechanism in solar/TiO₂ process, while dechlorination happened first and accumulation of aromatic intermediates occurred in the other processes. Different transformation pathways were proposed for UV-, VUV-assisted and solar/TiO₂ processes, respectively. The acute toxicity was evaluated by means of Photobacterium phosphoreum T₃ spp. bioassay. It was believed that aromatic intermediates increased the toxicity and the ring-opening pathway in solar/TiO₂ process could relieve the toxicity.

Keywords

clofibric acid / advanced oxidation processes / intermediates / toxicity / Photobacterium phosphoreum T₃ spp.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20677015 and 40871223), National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2007AA06Z331), Chinese Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (B506) and National Post-Doctoral Science Foundation (No. 2011M500071).

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2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg