High efficiency sonochemical degradation of bisphenol A: a synergistic dual-frequency ultrasound approach

Abstract

The persistence of bisphenol A in the environment poses significant ecological hazards. Traditional treatment methods often fall short in removing micropollutants such as bisphenol A from wastewater. The use of ultrasound in water treatment has the potential to induce powerful oxidative degradation of micropollutants while dispensing with the need for chemical intervention. Herein, we show a novel approach for the sonochemical degradation of bisphenol A using dual frequency ultrasound. The synergistic effects of using two distinct ultrasonic frequencies (20 kHz, with the addition of either 37 kHz or 80 kHz) were investigated in the context of bisphenol A removal and mineralisation. The method was shown to substantially increase the rate of degradation compared to single frequency treatment, achieving a 94.2% removal of bisphenol A under optimised conditions. The extent of mineralisation of the target pollutant and the absence of the need for chemical additives demonstrates the effectiveness of the method as a green alternative for water treatment.