Development of tungsten-modified iron oxides to decompose an over-the-counter painkiller, Acetaminophen by activating peroxymonosulfate.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a well-known type of over-the-counter painkillers and is frequently found in surface waterbodies, causing hepatotoxicity and skin irritation. Due to its persistence and chronic effects on the environment, innovative solutions must be provided to decompose APAP, effectively. Innovative catalysts of tungsten-modified iron oxides (TF) were successfully developed via a combustion method and thoroughly characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, a porosimetry analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, VSM magnetometry, and EPR. With the synthesis method, tungsten was successfully incorporated into iron oxides to form ferrites and other magnetic iron oxides with a high porosity of 19.7 % and a large surface area of 29.5 m/g. Also, their catalytic activities for APAP degradation by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were evaluated under various conditions. Under optimal conditions, TF 2.0 showed the highest APAP degradation of 95 % removal with a catalyst loading of 2.0 g/L, initial APAP concentration of 5 mg/L, PMS of 6.5 mM, and pH 2.15 at room temperature. No inhibition by solution pHs, alkalinity, and humic acid was observed for APAP degradation in this study. The catalysts also showed chemical and mechanical stability, achieving 100 % degradation of 1 mg/L APAP during reusability tests with three consecutive experiments. These results show that TFs can effectively degrade persistent contaminants of emerging concern in water, offering an impactful contribution to wastewater treatment to protect human health and the ecosystem.