Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are increasingly used to remove harmful organic pollutants from wastewater. One promising approach uses persulfate (PS), which is considered economical, practical, safe and stable. However, persulfate must first be activated to generate highly reactive substances capable of breaking down pollutants. This review presents the main physical and chemical activation methods, including heat, ultrasound, radiation, alkaline conditions, electrochemistry and catalysts. It compares their advantages, limitations and influencing factors, while also examining combined activation methods, possible reaction mechanisms and future research directions.
For a detailed overview the full study can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154906