Activation
of peracetic acid (PAA) with iron species is an emerging
advanced oxidation process (AOP). This study investigates the use
of the chelating agent picolinic acid (PICA) to extend the pH range
and enhance the performance of the PAA–Fe(III) AOP. Compared
to the PAA–Fe(III) system, the PAA–Fe(III)–PICA
system degrades various micropollutants (MPs: methylene blue, naproxen,
sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, trimethoprim, diclofenac, and bisphenol-A)
much more rapidly at higher pH, achieving almost complete removal
of parent compounds within 10 min. PAA significantly outperforms the
coexistent H2O2 and is the key oxidant for rapid
compound degradation. Other chelating agents, EDTA, NTA, citric acid,
proline, and nicotinic acid, could not enhance MP degradation in the
PAA–Fe(III) system, while 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid with
a structure similar to PICA moderately enhanced MP degradation. Experiments
with scavengers (tert-butyl alcohol and methyl phenyl
sulfoxide) and a probe compound (benzoic acid) confirmed that high-valent
iron species [Fe(IV) and/or Fe(V)], rather than radicals, are the
major reactive species contributing to MP degradation. The oxidation
products of methylene blue, naproxen, and sulfamethoxazole by PAA–Fe(III)–PICA
were characterized and supported the proposed mechanism. This work
demonstrates that PICA is an effective complexing ligand to assist
the Fenton reaction of PAA by extending the applicable pH range and
accelerating the catalytic ability of Fe(III).