The performance of Fe(III)-based catalyzed sodium percarbonate (SPC) for stimulating the oxidation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) for groundwater remediation applications was investigated. The chelating agents citric acid monohydrate (CIT), oxalic acid (OA), and glutamic acid (Glu) significantly enhanced the degradation of PCE. Conversely, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) had a negative impact on PCE degradation, which may due to its strong Fe chelation and HO center dot scavenging abilities. However, excessive SPC or chelating agent will retard PCE degradation. In addition, investigations using free radical probe compounds and radical scavengers revealed that PCE was primarily degraded by HO center dot radical oxidation in both the chelated and non-chelated systems, while OF also participated in the non-chelated system and the OA and Glu modified systems. According to the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, the presence of HO center dot in the Fe(III)/SPC system was maintained much longer than that in the Fe(II)/SPC system. The results indicated that the addition of CIT, OA or Glu indeed enhanced the generation of Ha in the first 10 min and promoted degradation efficiency by increasing the amount of Fe(III) and maintaining the concentration of HO center dot radicals in solution. In conclusion, chelated Fe(III)-based catalyzed SPC oxidation is a promising method for the remediation of PCE-contaminated groundwater. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.