Unveiling radical and non-radical species in ferrate-based advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment: Generation, mechanisms, and identification.

Fe(VI)-based advanced oxidation processes generate both radical and non-radical reactive species crucial for wastewater pollutant removal, with key pathways producing diverse reactive intermediates.

• Why it matters: Understanding the mechanisms and identifying these reactive species is essential to optimize AOP efficiency and address the challenge of removing emerging pollutants from water sources.
• What they did: The review synthesizes current knowledge on Fe(VI) properties, activation pathways, and oxidation mechanisms, analyzing methods for detecting and characterizing radical and non-radical species in AOPs.
• The result: Clarifying these mechanisms enables improved design and application of Fe(VI)-AOPs, guiding future research to overcome existing controversies and enhance wastewater treatment strategies.