New insights into the pH-dependent removal of sulfamethoxazole in peracetic acid activation systems: From mechanistic exploration to practical application potentials.

Peracetic acid (PAA) as emerging oxidant in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has attracted widespread attention in purifying water pollution. In this research, the removal of target contaminant (sulfamethoxazole, SMX) was investigated through PAA activation by a facile catalyst (Co@C), and the active sites of catalyst were identified as sp-C, O, and Co by correlation analysis. Especially, different pH adjustment strategies were designed, including System A (adjusting pH after adding PAA) and System B (adjusting pH before adding PAA), to investigate the impact of oxidant acidity and alkalinity on solution microenvironment as well as effect and mechanism of pollutant removal.