FENTON-LIKE DEGRADATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) USING STARCH STABILIZED MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES (SSMNPs), AND MAGNETITE (MNPs-Fe3O4)

Abstract

This research work reports the Fenton-like degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) using starch stabilized magnetic nanoparticles (SSMNPs), and magnetite (MNPs-Fe3O4) in place of Fe (ll) in a Fenton reaction (FR) as possible Advanced Oxidation Processes’ (AOPs) feedstock for pretreatment of hydrocarbon polluted waters/industrial effluents. The effects of varying starch concentrations of 0.00 g (for MNPs); 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 g for the SSMPs respectively on the oxidation processes were also evaluated. A mixture of 2.00 ml crude oil, 8.00 ml H2O2, 10.00 ml H2O and 0.50 g of each of the samples were exposed to the sun (ultraviolet light) for 52.00 h. Two additional control samples of crude oil plus H2O2 plus water (CHW) exposed and unexposed were also investigated. The GC–FID results obtained showed that MNPs gave the overall PAHs degradations of 60.20 % followed by the SSMNPs (0.02 to 0.10 g) with 45.14, 46.56, 46.95, 47.81 and 50.01 % respectively while the highest individual PAH degradation of ~91% were achieved with both 0.04 and 0.08% SSMNPs. The control results (FR; CHW exposed and unexposed) were 41.29, 38.27 and 100 % respectively. The total PAHs content of the crude oil used was 29.75 mgL-1. Keywords: Fenton–like reagent, SSMNPs, PAHs, Magnetite, Nanoparticles, Degradation, Starch coating