RT Journal Article T1 Toxicity and biodegradability evaluation of HCHs-polluted soils after persulfate remediation treatments A1 Checa Fernández, Cristina Alicia A1 Santos López, Aurora A1 Herraiz Carboné, Miguel A1 Cotillas Soriano, Salvador A1 Ortiz, David A1 Muñoz, Macarena A1 Domínguez Torre, Carmen María AB Soils contaminated with lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, γ–HCH) wastes are widespread due to its massive production and high persistence. A noticeable case is in the Sardas and Bailín landfills (Spain), where INQUINOSA discharged tons of lindane wastes. The current work evaluates the remediation of polluted surface soil (HCHs = 409 mg kg−1) from these emplacements by two persulfate (PS)-activated on-site treatments: thermal (PS/T) and alkaline activation, the last one also intensified by temperature (PS/NaOH/T). The possible adverse effects of the chemical treatments on acute toxicity (associated with reagents, pH, by-product generation, etc.) of all phases involved (soils, soil organic extracts, reaction supernatants, and soil elutriates) towards Vibrio fischeri and Artemia salina were evaluated. Biodegradability assays were also performed. Both treatments presented high efficiency in pollutant degradation (XHCHs ≥ 90 % and dechlorination degree ≈ 80 %). After PS/T treatment, the soil and organic extract acute toxicity (Vibrio fischeri and Artemia salina) was reduced to the minimum level, and neither the reaction supernatant nor the soil leachate exhibited acute toxicity. Vibrio fischeri-soil acute toxicity remained unaltered after PS/NaOH/T treatment, which was attributed to the high NaOH concentration used. The toxicity of this soil elutriate was low, although that of aqueous reaction supernatant presented non-negligible values. In the case of Artemia salina bioassay, the alkaline treatment leads to a more significant decrease in toxicity than the thermal activation of PS. Finally, the biodegradability of treated soils increased, highlighting the suitability of PS-activated treatments for the remediation of HCHs-polluted soils. PB Elsevier SN 1385-8947 YR 2024 FD 2024-02 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/121304 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/121304 LA eng NO Checa-Fernández, A.; Santos, A.; Herraiz-Carboné, M.; Cotillas, S.; Ortiz, D.; Muñoz, M.; Domínguez, C. M. Toxicity and Biodegradability Evaluation of HCHs-Polluted Soils after Persulfate Remediation Treatments. Chemical Engineering Journal 2024, 482, 148897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.148897. NO The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science (projects PID2019-105934RB-I00 and PID2022-137828OB-I00) and SARGA (project ref. 5507001-182). The authors thank SARGA and the Department of Climate Change and Environmental Education, Government of Aragon, for their support during this work. NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España) NO Sociedad Aragonesa de gestión agroambiental (España) DS Docta Complutense RD 30 dic 2025