Experimental degradation of atrazine in soil by dielectric barrier discharge and optimization

In this study, a self-made rotating double-media barrier reactor was used for remediation of atrazine contaminated soil, aiming to provide a reference for industrial application of low-temperature plasma treatment of organic contaminated soil. The effects of applied voltage and reactor state on the reactor discharge performance were investigated. When the applied voltage was increased, the energy efficiency of low-temperature plasma increased; the effect of reactor state was not significant. The effects of input voltage, reactor rotational speed and soil water content on the degradation efficiency of atrazine were investigated, and the results showed that the degradation rate of atrazine increased when the input voltage was 35 kV and the treatment time was 25 min, and the degradation rate of atrazine was 71.12%; when the reactor rotational speed and soil water content were 18.7 r/min and 0.8%, the degradation rates were 73.25% and 65.41%. The response surface method was applied to optimize the selection. The results showed that the significance degree of each factor was input voltage > soil water content > rotating motor speed, and the optimal conditions were 0.6% soil water content, 37 kV input voltage, 18 r/min reactor speed, and 51.93% atrazine degradation rate.