Sustainable Activation of Persulfate Using Corn Cob Biochar for Pesticide Degradation in Wastewater Treatment

This study investigates the potential of corn cob-derived biochars produced at 400 °C (BC400) and 700 °C (BC700) as heterogeneous catalysts for the degradation of organochlorine pesticides, lindane and β-endosulfan, through persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). BC700 exhibited enhanced degradation performance compared to BC400, likely due to its greater surface area, higher aromaticity, and lower surface polarity. Under optimized conditions (3.0 mM persulfate, pH 7.02, 0.2 g/L biochar), BC700 enabled the removal of up to 94% of β-endosulfan and 82% of lindane within four hours. Quenching experiments suggested different dominant degradation pathways: singlet oxygen (¹O₂) appeared to play a key role in lindane degradation, while β-endosulfan degradation likely involved both radical (SO₄^•-, HO^•) and non-radical mechanisms. Reusability tests indicated that BC700 retained catalytic activity for β-endosulfan across multiple cycles, whereas lindane degradation efficiency decreased, possibly due to surface fouling or catalyst deactivation. Experiments conducted in real surface water highlighted the influence of matrix components, with partial inhibition observed for β-endosulfan and an unexpected improvement in lindane removal. These results point to the promise of high-temperature corn cob biochar as a selective and potentially reusable catalyst for AOPs in water treatment, warranting further investigation into regeneration strategies and matrix-specific effects.