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The efficacy and cytotoxicity of iron oxide-carbon black composites for liquid-phase toluene oxidation by persulfate

  • Environmental management, engineering, planning and economics
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Abstract

This study evaluated the oxidation of toluene (TOL) by persulfate (PS) in aqueous solution in the presence of a Fe3O4-carbon black (CB) composite oxidant system generating sulfate radicals. The cytotoxic activity and oxidative stress generated by these materials were investigated in rat liver Clone 9 cells. The effects of various operating parameters including the pH and concentrations of PS, Fe3O4-CB, and TOL were evaluated to optimize the oxidation process. The results showed that Fe3O4-CB/PS achieved effective removal of TOL under acidic conditions. The TOL degradation efficiency was strongly pH-dependent, where pH 3.0 > 6.0 > 9.0. Additionally, the viability of Clone 9 cells exposed to 0–400 μg/mL Fe3O4-CB indicated that this material showed low cytotoxicity. A dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay performed to evaluate the generation of reactive oxygen species indicated that Fe3O4 showed relatively lower toxicity than CB in these cells. Therefore, the cytotoxicity of CB may involve the induction of oxidative stress and physical changes in cell morphology.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China, Taiwan, for financially supporting this study under Contract Nos. MOST 106-2221-E-022-002-MY3 and 106-2221-E-022-003-MY3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

    Cheng-Di Dong, Chiu-Wen Chen & Chang-Mao Hung

  2. Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

    Mei-Ling Tsai

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  1. Cheng-Di Dong
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  2. Chiu-Wen Chen
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  3. Mei-Ling Tsai
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  4. Chang-Mao Hung
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Correspondence to Chang-Mao Hung.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Dong, CD., Chen, CW., Tsai, ML. et al. The efficacy and cytotoxicity of iron oxide-carbon black composites for liquid-phase toluene oxidation by persulfate. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 14786–14796 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3593-7

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