Abstract
Chemical oxidation remediation is a technique that involves the addition of chemical oxidants to contaminated soil to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), with the goal of reducing soil organic matter content or eliminating organic contamination. This paper reviews the research progress of several major chemical oxidation remediation technologies, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-based Fenton and Fenton-like systems, calcium peroxide (CaO2)-based Fenton and Fenton-like systems, and persulfate-activated oxidation systems (e.g., Na2S2O8). Among these, the persulfate-activated oxidation system has recently emerged as a research hotspot due to its potential in eliminating TPHs from soil. The efficiency of TPHs degradation depends significantly on the activation method employed and the oxidative capacity of the system. Consequently, future research should focus on two critical directions: (1) the development of highly efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable activation methods; and (2) the enhancement of oxidative performance in existing systems, such as Na2S2O8/CaO2 and Na2S2O8/H2O2. In discussing the advancements in these major chemical oxidation remediation technologies, this paper specifically examines various persulfate activation methods and their corresponding treatment efficiencies. The aim is to provide insights and references for the development of efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly persulfate-activated oxidation systems, thereby promoting the application of chemical oxidation remediation technologies in the treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.
1 Introduction
With the continuous development of industry, the demand for fossil fuels is constantly increasing (; ), consequently, the issue of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly severe (; ). The exploitation of crude oil, the use of petroleum products, industrial production activities, discharges of oily wastewater, and natural spills have all contributed to the increasingly severe phenomenon of environmental pollution caused by TPHs (; ). The leakage of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) into the environment has altered the structure of soil and impacted microbial diversity (). As a result, the soil becomes a carrier of hazardous substances, thereby posing risks to soil ecology, human health, and the wellbeing of plants and animals (; ; ). Consequently, the treatment and remediation of soils contaminated with TPHs, and the restoration of soil ecological stability, have emerged as urgent priorities that demand immediate, and targeted, interventions to address the growing environmental and ecological concerns (; ; ).
At present, physical restoration (), bioremediation (; ; ), and chemical remediation (; ; ; ) are commonly used to remediate TPHs-contaminated soils. Among these approaches, chemical remediation technology has emerged as a research hotspot, primarily due to its strong pertinence, high treatment efficiency, and relatively short implementation period. Chemical remediation technology mainly encompasses three key methods: chemical flushing technology (), chemical stabilization technology (), and chemical oxidation technology (; ; ). The chemical oxidation systems commonly used for TPHs-contaminated soils, such as the H2O2 Fenton oxidation system, the CaO2-based Fenton oxidation system, the activated Na2S2O8 oxidation system and the Na2S2O8/CaO2 composite oxidation system ().
This paper primarily reviews the advancements in chemical oxidation technology, which aims to eliminate or mitigate soil contamination by introducing chemical oxidizing agents and activators. This process effectively degrades pollutants and restores soil health. The review encompasses the practical applications and current research status of several key chemical oxidation technologies, while also exploring potential future directions for development.
2 H2O2 -based fenton system
In 1893, Fenton HJ initially proposed that a mixed solution of H2O2 and Fe2+ exhibits potent oxidising properties, and is capable of degrading the majority of organic substances into inorganic states. As a result of the extensive research conducted, the Fenton oxidation system has become a more sophisticated and well-developed process. With the depth of research, Fenton oxidation system has been developed more mature. H2O2 is used as the oxidant and mixed with Fe2+. Under acidic conditions, Fe2+ catalyzes the generation of highly oxidative hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which have a standard electrode potential of 2.76 V. The hydroxyl radical (·OH) is strongly electrophilic and highly oxidative, capable of undergoing electrophilic reactions with most organic pollutants. This ultimately leads to the mineralization of these pollutants into H2O and CO2. The mechanism of treatment can be described as follows (Equations 1.1–1.6):
The remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils has been the subject of extensive study with regard to Fenton oxidation systems based on H2O2 (). It has been demonstrated that the choice of catalysts and the influencing factors have a significant impact on the final degradation. The traditional hydrogen peroxide oxidation Fenton oxidation system employs hydrogen peroxide in conjunction with Fe2+, which reacts at low pH to produce -OH, before undergoing further reaction. The Fenton oxidation system has been the subject of extensive research with the objective of enhancing its efficacy and reducing any potential environmental impact ().
employed hydrogen peroxide (Fe2+/H2O2) oxidation systems, utilising Fe2+ as an activator to treat TPHs pollutants, the schematic diagram of the experimental setup was given (Figure 1a). The effects of the oxidant concentration, Fe2+ dosage, and initial pH conditions of the removal rate of TPHs from oil-based drilling cuttings as shown in Figure 1b. The findings demonstrated that under room temperature conditions, liquid–solid ratio = 10:1, H2O2 = 10 mmol/g, Fe2+ = 10 mmol/g,initial pH = 3, the TPHs removal rates were found to be 45.04% for the (Fe2+/H2O2) system. And the (Fe2+/H2O2) system removed up to 80% of C10-C13 components. In previous studies, Fernando Pardo () and colleagues employed H2O2 as an oxidising agent (400–4,000 mmol L−1), ferric ions as a catalyst (5–20 mmol L−1), and trisodium citrate (50 mmol L−1) as a chelating agent. The removal efficiencies of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) were obtained at two different pollutant concentrations (1,000–10,000 mg diesel kg/soil), with efficacies reaching up to 75%.
FIGURE 1
TABLE 1
| Oil fraction | H2O2concentrationa (mM/v%) | Iron doseb (mg FeSO4) | Delivery methodc | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 330 (1.0%) | 1,464 (4.5%) | 2,928 (9%) | 0 | 27 (94:1) | 53 (47:1) | 80 (31:1) | 106 (23:1) | 133 (19:1) | 265 (9:1) | M-1 | M-2 | M-3 | |
| C10-C12 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| C13-C16 | 9 | 19 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 47 | 31 |
| C17-C20 | 17 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 22 | 12 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 48 | 31 |
| C21-C24 | 17 | 27 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 27 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 13 | 47 | 30 |
| C25-C40 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 33 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 2 | 37 | 26 |
| TPH | 17 | 24 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 24 | 21 | 11 | 17 | 23 | 14 | 46 | 30 |
Removal efficiency (%) of cable oil by liquid hydrogen peroxide pH 7.5 ((
The initial TPH, concentration is 3,171 mg kg−1.
Citric acid acts as chelating agent, iron dose is 52.9 mg FeSO4, pH is 7.5. Delivery method is M-1.
Citric acid acts as chelating agent, 4.5% H2O2 were applied. pH is 7.5. Delivery method is M-1.
Citric acid acts as chelating agent, iron dose is 52.9 mg FeSO4 4.5% H2O2 were applied. pH is 7.5.
In order to enhance the efficacy of the H2O2 Fenton oxidation system in the treatment of TPHs, various new Fenton composite remediation systems have been proposed. In a study conducted by
FIGURE 2

Schematic plot of the experimental EK cell (
The H2O2 Fenton system is distinguished by a minimal environmental impact, a broad spectrum of applications, and straightforward operation. However, the efficacy of TPHs degradation is significantly influenced by the pH value. Therefore H2O2-based Fenton systems should require a combination of UV or visible light (
3 CaO2-based fenton system
The traditional H2O2 Fenton oxidation system has shortcomings such as dependence on the pH of the soil environment (applicable under acidic conditions) and poor H2O2 stability (
The results of the study (
Ndjou’ou prepared a hydrocarbon-contaminated soil which was treated in laboratory slurry reactors using two types of modified Fenton (MF) chemistry (
In water using a Fenton system with CaO2. The objective was to investigate the oxidation effect of BTEX by varying the ratio of CaO2/Fe(II)/BTEX. The removal of BTEX was found to be 35% when the molar ratio of CaO2/Fe(II)/BTEX was 5/5/1. However, when the molar ratio was increased to 40/40/1, the removal rate increased significantly, reaching 98% in the same condition. The findings of this type of investigation may offer insights into the degradation of TPHs in soil. Furthermore, the efficacy of calcium peroxide can be enhanced by preparing it into nanoscale, which increases its specific surface area and consequently accelerates the degradation of organic matter (Khodaveisi et al., 2011;
4 Activated persulfate oxidation system
The use of persulfate as an oxidising agent for the degradation of organic pollutants has been widely reported (
Persulfate was employed for the remediation of TPHs in soil by researchers (
Chen et al. employed two different persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (Figure 3), namely heat/PMS and heat/PDS, for the treatment of TPHs, respectively (
FIGURE 3

Schematic diagram of the experimental set-up for the heat/PDS and heat/PMS processes (
Li employed three different activated persulfate methods to treat TPHs in soil (
FIGURE 4

Proposed degradation mechanism of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds (
Similarly, the use of different novel activation techniques can change the treatment effect of persulfate, also.
FIGURE 5

The schematic diagram of this work (a) and the mechanism for removal of TPHs from soil under BOFs/persulfate system in presence of electromagnetic induction heating (b) (
The effectiveness of FeS@BC (iron sulfide@biochar) in activating persulfate (PS) for the remediation of TPHs in petroleum-contaminated soil was systematically investigated (
Similarly, for the removal of TPHs from soil (
The chemical oxidative remediation techniques in this paper are summarized below (Table 2).
TABLE 2
| Treatment | Hydrocarbon fraction | Removal efficiency | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| H2O2 -based Fenton | TPHs and TPHs C10-C13 | TPHs,45.03% and TPHs C10-C13 > 80% | |
| H2O2 -based Fenton | TPHs (20% biodiesel and 80% diesel) | 75% | |
| H2O2 -based Fenton | TPHs | 87.6% | |
| H2O2 -based Fenton | TPHs (cable insulating oil) | 46% |
| Treatment | Hydrocarbon fraction | Removal efficiency | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| H2O2 -based Fenton (electrokinetic-Fenton) | TPHs (oil-based drilling waste) | 77% | |
| H2O2 -based Fenton (ultrasonic-Fenton) | TPHs (petroleum oil spill sludge) | 84.25% | |
| CaO2-based Fenton | Diclofenac sodium | 97.5% | |
| CaO2-based Fenton | TPHs | 95.6% | |
| CaO2-based Fenton | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) | 92.3% | |
| CaO2-based Fenton | BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) | CaO2/Fe(II)/BTEX molar ratio of 5/5/1, BTEX removal were 35% CaO2/Fe(II)/BTEX molar ratio of 40/40/1, BTEX removal were 98% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation | TPHs | 40.8% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation (heat/PMS and heat/PDS) | TPHs | TPHs, heat/PMS = 53%, TPHs, heat/PDS = 46% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation (US/Heat/PS and Heat/PS) | TPHs | TPHs, US/Heat/PS = 78.2% TPHs, Heat/PS = 56.41% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation (PS/microbial) | Crude oil | 80.05% |
| Treatment | Hydrocarbon fraction | Removal efficiency | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| activated persulfate oxidation (FeS@BC/PS) | TPHs | 61.83% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation (EK-ZVI/PS) | TPHs | 27.74% | |
| activated persulfate oxidation (Fe/Mn-SOM/PS) | TPHs PAHs | 75.74% 80.60% |
Chemical oxidative remediation technologies.
5 Conclusion
The chemical oxidation remediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in soil primarily relies on the use of strong oxidants, which generate oxidative radicals under various activation conditions. These radicals facilitate the oxidative degradation of TPHs. This paper reviews the mechanisms and remediation efficiencies of hydrogen peroxide-based Fenton oxidation, calcium peroxide-based Fenton and Fenton-like systems, and activated persulfate oxidation in the context of TPH-contaminated soil. The hydrogen peroxide-based Fenton oxidation system is highly sensitive to the pH of the reaction environment and is primarily suitable for soil remediation under acidic conditions. However, its applicability and degradation efficiency can be enhanced by combining it with different activation methods. The calcium peroxide-based Fenton and Fenton-like systems serve as alternative technologies to the hydrogen peroxide Fenton process, offering a broader pH range and addressing the limitations of hydrogen peroxide in neutral to alkaline environments. Notably, activated persulfate oxidation exhibits advantages such as strong oxidative capacity, long-term stability, and diverse activation methods. To improve the removal efficiency of TPHs in soil and develop effective TPHs oxidation systems, future research should focus on leveraging the high oxidative potential of activated persulfate systems by selecting composite oxidation systems, such as PS/CaO2 or PS/H2O2, and optimizing activation methods, including efficient thermal activation, iron-based composite activation, and alkaline activation. The integration of multiple activation techniques and novel activation methods represents a critical research direction for enhancing TPHs removal efficiency.
Statements
Author contributions
YD: Formal Analysis, Funding acquisition, Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. ZL: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Funding acquisition, Writing–review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Fund 2024 Chongqing “Graduate Student Research Innovation Project”, CYB240041 and Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (KJQN202313101).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.
Publisher’s note
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Summary
Keywords
total petroleum hydrocarbons, chemical oxidative remediation technologies, fentonbased reaction, activated persulfate, advanced oxidation
Citation
Dai Y and Liu Z (2025) Research progress on remediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil by chemical oxidation - a review. Front. Environ. Eng. 4:1532795. doi: 10.3389/fenve.2025.1532795
Received
22 November 2024
Accepted
03 March 2025
Published
02 April 2025
Volume
4 - 2025
Edited by
Eleonora Aneggi, University of Udine, Italy
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© 2025 Dai and Liu.
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*Correspondence: Zhihao Liu, zhih98liu@163.com
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