Deciphering the degradation of sulfonamides by UV/chlorination in aqueous solution: kinetics, reaction pathways, and toxicological evolution

Abstract

UV/Cl is a cost-effective process and is often used in municipal water treatment plants as well as in industrial applications. UV/Cl method is found highly effective in degrading contaminants, including pathogens, The conventional methods for water treatment have been proven inefficient for the complete elimination of pollutants and generate harmful by-products in the environment. This study evaluated the efficacy of three different treatment methods, chlorination alone, UV photolysis, and UV/Cl, for the degradation of sulfonamides (SAs) in water. The results highlighted that UV/Cl treatment was an efficient method for enhancing the degradation of sulfisoxazole (SFX), sulfadimethoxine (SAT), and sulfaguanidine (SG), with substrates degrading in 5, 6.5, and 4 min. The study also investigated the reactive species generated in the UV/Cl system and found that ·OH was the species responsible for the elimination of SFX. Additionally, the study explored the intermediate products generated during the degradation of SFX under the UV/Cl system, identifying VI distinct degradation pathways. The presence of ·OH radicals significantly enhanced the degradation of SFX, while some chlorine species also contributed to the degradation. The study predicted the toxicity of degradation products from the UV/Cl system using the ECOSAR (Ecological Structure Activity Relationships) program and found that the final degradation products of SFX were non-toxic, but concerns were raised about acute toxicity.