Th
e persulfate anion is a
strong oxidant, with an oxidation
potential of 2.12 V:
However, the persulfate anion typically has slow oxidative kinetics
at ordinary temperatures
for most
contaminant species and really can only be applied to
a limited number of contaminants
, such as
TCE or
xylene, to be effective
. As a result, persulfate
is typically “activated”
1
-
3
for use
to oxidize
most
contaminants or concern.
In the presence of certain activators, persulfate anion can be converted to
the sulfate radical, an even strong
er
oxidant with
an oxidation
potential of 2.6 V: