Simultaneous removal of As(V) and sulfamethazine from water in FeS2-H2O2 system

Sulfamethazine (SMT) and organic arsenic are usually used as feed additives in animal husbandry and aquaculture, which will produce severe compound pollution after metabolism and discharge. In this work, the FeS2-H2O2 system was used to simultaneously remove As(V) and SMT. Under 0.8 g/L of FeS2, 40 mM of H2O2, the simultaneous removal efficiency of SMT and As(V) was up to 97 %. The initial concentration of As(V) was unfavourable for SMT degradation, while the effect of initial concentration of SMT on As(V) removal could be ignored. Meanwhile, increasing FeS2 and H2O2 dosages enhanced removal efficiency of SMT and As(V). However, excessive FeS2 was detrimental to the removal of As, and the ·OH, ·O2−, and 1O2 were generated to degrade SMT. As was adsorbed on the surface of positively charged FeS2 firstly and then reacted with Fe(III) on the surface of FeS2 or released by Fenton reaction to form FeAsO4. No As(III) was detected during the simultaneous removal process in the FeS2-H2O2 system. This study revealed that SMT and As(V) could be removed simultaneously in the FeS2-H2O2 system, which produced new insight into animal husbandry and aquaculture wastewater treatments.