Sodium Persulfate

Sodium persulfate — supplied dry in 55 lb bags and 2,204 lb bulk sacks; soluble to 40 wt% for injection or soil blending.

Sodium Persulfate Supplier for Activated ISCO

Persulfate is the oxidant consultants reach for when the site has two problems at once: permanganate is weak on benzene and fuels, and peroxide is gone in days. Activated persulfate handles both the chlorinated solvents and the petroleum, and stays active in the formation for days to weeks. Hepure supplies remediation-grade sodium persulfate — and, usefully, most of the activators that make it work.

Sodium persulfate (Na₂S₂O₈) is a proven oxidant for in situ chemical oxidation that treats a wide range of contaminants, including chlorinated solvents, petroleum-based chemicals, and PAHs. It is ideal for quick source-zone and hot-spot treatment. Compare it with the rest of the line on our chemical oxidants page.

The Chemistry

Activated sodium persulfate produces powerful oxidative radicals — the sulfate radical (SO₄^•−) and the hydroxyl radical (•OH) — along with the reductive superoxide radical (O₂^•−). Together they degrade recalcitrant compounds, including chlorinated ethenes (TCE, PCE, DCE, and vinyl chloride), chlorinated ethanes (TCA, DCA), chlorinated methanes (carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride), BTEX, MTBE, PAHs, Freons, PCBs, di- and tri-chlorobenzenes, petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH, GRO, DRO), 1,4-dioxane, and pesticides.

S₂O₈²⁻ + initiator → SO₄^•−, •OH, O₂^•−

Activation: The Design Decision

Unactivated persulfate is a slow oxidant. The initiator is what turns it into a radical generator, and choosing it is most of the design. The reaction can be initiated by:

• Alkaline activation — raising pH, typically with sodium hydroxide; the most common field approach, with the side benefit of buffering the acid the reaction produces
• Transition metals — ferrous iron from ferrous sulfate
• Chelated metal catalysts — iron held available with a chelator such as EDTA
• Ferrate
• Iron sulfide (FeS) — see iron pyrites
• Peroxides — hydrogen peroxide as a dual-oxidant design
• Heat

These methods are customized to site conditions — geochemistry, target contaminants, and the delivery method all push the choice. Sodium persulfate is typically applied as a solution and is soluble up to 40 wt%. Its active lifetime in the subsurface is days to weeks — longer than peroxide, shorter than permanganate. When used as recommended it is safe to handle and does not generate heat or gas.

Application Methods — and One Equipment Rule

Sodium persulfate can be injected by direct-push (DPT), through fixed injection wells, or applied in soil blending. Because one of the end products of the chemistry is sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), all equipment in contact with the solution — pumps, hoses, fittings, tanks — must be compatible with strong acid. The call we’d rather take before mobilization than after: confirm the injection contractor’s wetted materials. The same acid production is why alkaline activation is so often the practical choice — the activator and the buffer are the same drum.

Where It Fits

Persulfate is frequently sequenced with other approaches: an aggressive persulfate pass on a source zone, followed by bioremediation on the dissolved plume, is a common pattern on petroleum sites. Where weeks-to-months of oxidant contact are needed on a chlorinated plume, permanganate persists longer; where speed and heat in a source zone matter most, catalyzed peroxide is faster.

Advantages and Considerations

Advantages: treats a wide variety of contaminants of concern — including the fuels and aromatics permanganate handles poorly; highly soluble; no heat or gas generation when used as recommended; persistence of days to weeks.

Considerations: requires activation; produces strong acid, so equipment compatibility and pH management are part of the design; natural oxidant demand should be bench-tested before dosing.

Common Questions

Which activator should I use? Alkaline (sodium hydroxide) is the most common and self-buffering; iron activation suits sites with a ferrous source or where iron is already in the design; peroxide gives a dual-oxidant kick in source zones; heat is usually a thermal-remediation pairing. Send site data and we’ll talk through it — we supply the activators too, so the order arrives as one coordinated set.

How long does it stay active in the ground? Days to weeks, depending on activation method, soil oxidant demand, and geochemistry.

How is it supplied? Dry, in 55 lb bags or 2,204 lb bulk sacks, dissolved on site to the design concentration. Call 866-727-4776 — Pat Randall (x1) West, Bob Kelley, Ph.D. (x2) East — or request more information for pricing, lead time, and a quantity estimate.