Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation

Abstract Bisphenol-A (BPA), a commonly used chemical in the production of thermal paper and kinetic polymers, acts as an endocrine disruptor, leading to biological accumulation in the environment and posing long-term risks to human health. This study aimed to assess the degradation of BPA using pers...

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Main Authors: Emad Dehghanifard, Ahmad Jonidi Jafari, Babak Kakavandi, Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93968-5
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author Emad Dehghanifard
Ahmad Jonidi Jafari
Babak Kakavandi
Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary
author_facet Emad Dehghanifard
Ahmad Jonidi Jafari
Babak Kakavandi
Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary
author_sort Emad Dehghanifard
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Bisphenol-A (BPA), a commonly used chemical in the production of thermal paper and kinetic polymers, acts as an endocrine disruptor, leading to biological accumulation in the environment and posing long-term risks to human health. This study aimed to assess the degradation of BPA using persulfate (PS) activated by nickel ferrite-anchored zinc oxide (ZnO@NiFe2O4) nanoparticles in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The ZnO@NiFe2O4 catalyst was synthesized using a co-precipitation method. Its structure was characterized through FESEM, EDS, XRD, VSM, DRS, TEM, and PL analyses. Several parameters including solution pH, initial BPA concentration, and catalyst and PS dosages were examined. Additionally, the influence of interfering ions such as nitrate, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, and bicarbonate was evaluated. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis was conducted to measure BPA mineralization throughout the process. Lastly, the reusability of the photocatalyst and the overall efficiency of the process were assessed. Under optimal conditions (pH = 9, BPA concentration = 0.04 g/L, catalyst dosage = 0.3 g/L, and PS =  mM), the highest removal efficiency and mineralization of BPA after 15 min were found to be > 99.9% and 59.21%, respectively. However, interfering ions reduced the BPA degradation efficiency in order of Cl− (51.75%) < SO4 −2 (70.61%) < NO3 − (75.41%) < CO3 −2 (82.41%). After four recovery cycles, the catalyst’s effectiveness decreased to 15.7%. The photocatalytic oxidation of BPA adhered to pseudo-first-order kinetics (k = 0.23 min−1). In conclusion, the PS activated by ZnO@NiFe2O4/UV proved to be effective for BPA degradation due to its strong performance and high recovery capability.
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spelling doaj-art-35e5157c3240430187cc2ec60954e1da2025-08-20T03:03:32ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-93968-5Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiationEmad Dehghanifard0Ahmad Jonidi Jafari1Babak Kakavandi2Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary3Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical SciencesResearch Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Alborz University of Medical SciencesResearch Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Bisphenol-A (BPA), a commonly used chemical in the production of thermal paper and kinetic polymers, acts as an endocrine disruptor, leading to biological accumulation in the environment and posing long-term risks to human health. This study aimed to assess the degradation of BPA using persulfate (PS) activated by nickel ferrite-anchored zinc oxide (ZnO@NiFe2O4) nanoparticles in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The ZnO@NiFe2O4 catalyst was synthesized using a co-precipitation method. Its structure was characterized through FESEM, EDS, XRD, VSM, DRS, TEM, and PL analyses. Several parameters including solution pH, initial BPA concentration, and catalyst and PS dosages were examined. Additionally, the influence of interfering ions such as nitrate, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, and bicarbonate was evaluated. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis was conducted to measure BPA mineralization throughout the process. Lastly, the reusability of the photocatalyst and the overall efficiency of the process were assessed. Under optimal conditions (pH = 9, BPA concentration = 0.04 g/L, catalyst dosage = 0.3 g/L, and PS =  mM), the highest removal efficiency and mineralization of BPA after 15 min were found to be > 99.9% and 59.21%, respectively. However, interfering ions reduced the BPA degradation efficiency in order of Cl− (51.75%) < SO4 −2 (70.61%) < NO3 − (75.41%) < CO3 −2 (82.41%). After four recovery cycles, the catalyst’s effectiveness decreased to 15.7%. The photocatalytic oxidation of BPA adhered to pseudo-first-order kinetics (k = 0.23 min−1). In conclusion, the PS activated by ZnO@NiFe2O4/UV proved to be effective for BPA degradation due to its strong performance and high recovery capability.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93968-5Bisphenol-AAdvanced oxidation processesMagnetic separationZnO@NiFe2O4PersulfateUltraviolet
spellingShingle Emad Dehghanifard
Ahmad Jonidi Jafari
Babak Kakavandi
Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary
Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
Scientific Reports
Bisphenol-A
Advanced oxidation processes
Magnetic separation
ZnO@NiFe2O4
Persulfate
Ultraviolet
title Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
title_full Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
title_fullStr Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
title_full_unstemmed Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
title_short Degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
title_sort degradation of bisphenol a using zinc oxide decorated by nickel ferrite nanoparticles toward persulfate activation in the presence of ultraviolet radiation
topic Bisphenol-A
Advanced oxidation processes
Magnetic separation
ZnO@NiFe2O4
Persulfate
Ultraviolet
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93968-5
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