Current status and prospects of research on 1,4-dioxane pollution and treatment technologies in the water environment

1,4-dioxane pollution is characterized by its early identification, widespread sources and extensive distribution. The pollutant is highly mobile and persistent in the water environment and is classified as a B2 (probable) human carcinogen. After reviewing recent researches on the pollution status, transport and transformation characteristics of 1,4-dioxane in the water environment, as well as the environmental pollution remediation and treatment technologies, and the status of environmental regulation, this paper addresses that the distribution of 1,4-dioxane in water bodies is significantly correlated with chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) and trichloroethylene (TCE). It is noteworthy that 1,4-dioxane often occurs in symbiosis with 1,1,1-TCA and has a similarity contamination plume distribution to 1,1,1-TCA. The natural attenuation of 1,4-dioxane in groundwater environment is weak, but there is a certain degree of biological oxidation attenuation. Current methods for treating 1,4-dioxane pollution mainly include extraction-treatment technology, advanced oxidation treatment technology, modified biological treatment technology and phytoremediation technology, all of which have their limitations in practical application. Currently, there is no environmental regulation available for the 1,4-dioxane pollution worldwide, and no enforceable standard established for defining the health trigger levels of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. Research on this contaminant in China is generally limited to the site or laboratory scale, and there are no studies on the environmental risk and quality standards for 1,4-dioxane in the water environment.