Photodegradation behavior and mechanism of dibutyl phthalate in water under flood discharge atomization

Flood discharge atomization isa prevalent hydraulics phenomenon in reservoir scheduling operations, however, its ef-fect on the migration and transformation behavior of pollutants has not been examined. In this study, the behaviors and mechanisms of the direct photodegradation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in atomized water and the indirect photodegradation of DBP in the presence of ferric ions and nitrate were investigated. The results showed that the photodegradation rate of DBP was accelerated under atomization conditions by sunlight irradiation. The photodegradation efficiency of DBP in the presence of ferric ions and nitrate under atomization conditions was in-creased by 2.20 times and 1.82 times compared with no-atomization conditions, respectively. The quencher experi-ments indicated that the main active species for DBP photodegradation in the presence of ferric ions were hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) and superoxide radicals (center dot O2-) with atomization, while the main active species in the presence of nitrate were center dot OH, center dot O2- and electrons (e-). In addition, the differences were found in the photodegradation products and path-ways of DBP between with and without atomization treatment. In the presence of ferric ions, the benzene ring of DBP was opened to produce fumaric acid, while phthalic acid bis(4-hydroxybutyl) ester was produced in the presence of nitrate under atomization conditions. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for assessing the effect of water conservancy projects on the migration and transformation behaviors of pollutants, which is of great theoretical signif-icance and scientific value.