Persulfate activation by biochar and iron: Effect of chloride on formation of reactive species and transformation of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)

•Biochar/Fe(III)/persulfate effectively degrades N,N‑diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET).•SO4•− are the dominant reactive species in the biochar/Fe(III)/persulfate system.•Chloride shifts the reactive species from SO4•− to •OH and to chlorine species.•PMSO is not a selective indicator for Fe(IV) in persulfate-based oxidation systems.•PMSO2 is formed via the reaction of PMSO with SO4•−. Fenton-like processes using persulfate for oxidative water treatment and contaminant removal can be enhanced by the addition of redox-active biochar, which accelerates the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) and increases the yield of reactive species that react with organic contaminants. However, available data on the formation of non-radical or radical species in the biochar/Fe(III)/persulfate system are inconsistent, which limits the evaluation of treatment efficiency and applicability in different water matrices. Based on competition kinetics calculations, we employed different scavengers and probe compounds to systematically evaluate the effect of chloride in presence of organic matter on the formation of major reactive species in the biochar/Fe(III)/persulfate system for the transformation of the model compound N,N‑diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) at pH 2.5. We show that the transformation of methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) to methyl phenyl sulfone (PMSO2) cannot serve as a reliable indicator for Fe(IV), as previously suggested, because sulfate radicals also induce PMSO2 formation. Although the formation of Fe(IV) cannot be completely excluded, sulfate radicals were identified as the major reactive species in the biochar/Fe(III)/persulfate system in pure water. In the presence of dissolved organic matter, low chloride concentrations (0.1 mM) shifted the major reactive species likely to hydroxyl radicals. Higher chloride concentrations (1 mM), as present in a mining-impacted acidic surface water, resulted in the formation of another reactive species, possibly Cl2•−, and efficient DEET degradation. To tailor the application of this oxidation process, the water matrix must be considered as a decisive factor for reactive species formation and contaminant removal. [Display omitted]