Progress of research work on physical and chemical degradation of polyacrylamide

Extensive use of polyacrylamide can lead to increase of content of polymer and viscosity of effluent-waste water, causing as a result a potential threat to environment. Therefore, exploration of an effective method for degradation of polyacrylamide has become nowadays a hot point of study. Following an analysis and description of the state-of-the-art of the work on physical and chemical degradation methods currently applied as well as the degradation mechanism of each method, the paper looks ahead to the developing trend of the research work in this respect. It is pointed out that the work in the future should be directed toward adoption of intensified degradation process through combined use of multiple degradation methods applied in different industrial sectors, optimization of process conditions, making intensive study of degradation mechanisms, and accelerating development of equipment for treating polyacrylamide-containing effluent using integrated degradation methods.