Advanced oxidation processes for pesticide degradation: a comprehensive review on the role of nano zero-valent metals and persulfate activation

Abstract

The widespread use and persistence of pesticides in aquatic environments pose a severe risk to ecosystems and human health. This review comprehensively analyses advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for pesticide degradation, focusing on and persulfate activation mediated by nano zero-valent metals (nZVMs). Recent studies highlight the exceptional performance of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI), zinc (nZVZn), and copper (nZVCu) in generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl and sulfate radicals that effectively degrade persistent organic pollutants, including chlorpyrifos, atrazine, and p-chlorophenol. The paper further examines the mechanisms underlying pollutant degradation, the effects of operational parameters such as pH, oxidant and catalyst dosage, and the synergistic role of composite systems like nZVI/BC and nZVZn/PMS. In addition, degradation pathways and mineralization efficiencies are discussed in detail, providing insight into the reaction kinetics and mechanistic transformations of target pollutants. This review not only summarizes the advantages of integrating persulfate-based AOPs with nZVM catalysts but also identifies key challenges such as catalyst recovery, secondary pollution, and scalability. Overall, the findings provide a framework for advancing sustainable, efficient, and eco-friendly AOP-based technologies for pesticide remediation.