The feasibility and mechanism of nanosized zerovalent iron (nZVI)
coupled with sulfidation and ferrous implantation (S-nZVI/Fe2+) especially for the removal of iodinated contrast medium (ICM) are
poorly known. This study showed that the efficient removal of ICM
diatrizoate (DTA) could be achieved by S-nZVI/Fe2+ under
neutral and aerobic conditions. The DTA degradation rate was significantly
elevated in the S-nZVI/Fe2+ system, with an increase of
38.2, 29.5, and 13.0 times the removal rate constants compared with
those of the nZVI, nZVI/Fe2+ and S-nZVI systems, respectively.
Analysis of the products and detection of reactive species suggested
that both the reductive and oxidative removal of DTA were enhanced
by S-nZVI/Fe2+ under aerobic conditions. The coupled effect
of sulfidation and Fe2+ implantation could maintain the
solution pH around 5 and retard the consumption of Fe(0) by O2, thereby promoting the corrosion of Fe(0). This effect not
only inhibited the recombination of the generated atomic hydrogen
but also facilitated the Fenton-like reaction for •OH production, resulting in enhanced DTA removal with two fundamental
stages: the efficient deiodination stage and the mild oxidation stage.
Generally, these findings provided new insights into improving the
removal efficiency of complicated ICM under mild conditions through
an enhanced-nZVI strategy.