Chapter 11: Novel Strategy for Soil Remediation of Contaminated Sites Using Persulfate-based Advanced Oxidation Technologies

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes are a promising method for in-situ remediation of organic-contaminated soil. Compared to H₂O₂, persulfate is more stable which is conducive to the transport of reagents and interactions with pollutants in soil. Moreover, persulfate can be activated to form sulfate radicals which are strong oxidants with a high redox potential (E⁰ = 2.6 eV) and could selectively react with pollutants. In recent years, there have been many studies on the removal of pollutants by persulfate activation in water, mainly concentrating on developing efficient activated materials and degrading numerous kinds of contaminants, but the progress of soil remediation is slow, mainly because the soil environment is more complex and persulfate activation technology developed in aqueous solution is difficult to apply to soil. Therefore, it is imperative to conclude the strategy of using persulfate activation for soil remediation, particularly for contaminated sites. This chapter mainly summarizes some characteristics of the soil affecting pollutant degradation and the persulfate activation method suitable for soil remediation under different conditions, and attempts to combine a variety of methods to better repair contaminated soil. Finally, many gaps of soil remediation by persulfate-based AOPs between laboratory studies and field applications will also be highlighted. The content of this chapter is suitable reading for soil remediation companies and related technical personnel, and researchers in scientific research units.