Oxalate enhanced degradation of Orange II in heterogeneous UV-Fenton system catalyzed by Fe3O4@γ-Fe2O3 composite

A critical review of textile industry wastewater: green technologies for the removal of indigo dyes

The denim textile industry represents an important productive sector. It generates wastewater with low biodegradability due to the presence of persistent pollutants, which can produce toxic and carcinogenic compounds; therefore, wastewater treatment reduces risks to aquatic life and public health. This paper presents a review of 172 papers regarding textile industry wastewater treatment for the removal of contaminants, especially indigo dyes used in the denim industry, in the context of green technologies. The physicochemical characteristics of textile wastewater, its environmental and health impacts, and the permissible limit regulations in different countries were reviewed. Biological, physicochemical and advanced oxidation processes for the removal of indigo dyes were reviewed. The goal of this study was to analyze the characteristics of green technologies; however, the research does not clearly demonstrate an effect on energy consumption savings, carbon footprint decreases, and/or waste generation. Advanced oxidation processes showed the highest color removal efficiency (95 and 97% in synthetic or real wastewater, respectively). Photocatalysis and Fenton reactions were the most efficient processes. None of the revised works presented results regarding upscaling for industrial application, and the results should be discussed in terms of the guidelines and maximum permissible limits established by international legislation. New technologies need to be developed and evaluated in a sustainable context with real wastewater.

Molecular insights into the catalytic oxidation of methanol-to-olefins wastewater with phosphoric acid modified sludge biochar

With the development of methanol-to-olefin (MTO) process, the effective disposal of wastewater was one key factor for the long-period and benign development of this technology. Herein, a sludge-based biochar catalyst (GSC-P) was synthesized and used in photo-Fenton reaction for the degradation of MTO wastewater from the outlet of a biological aerated filter. More iron was distributed on the surface of GSC-P catalyst, facilitating the photo-Fenton oxidation of MTO wastewater, with chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate of 75.4% and total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of 62.5%. The 2223 unique molecular formulas assigned by a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) in the original MTO wastewater showed that CHO compounds shared the lowest peak numbers (20.2%) but the highest peak abundance (51.6%) among the four groups. Besides, lipids, unsaturated hydrocarbons, lignins and proteins were the main structural types. After photo-Fenton treatment of 60 min, there were 56.7%-74.0% of compounds removed by the analysis of van Krevelen diagram, indicating that the MTO wastewater was degraded efficiently. Three possible evolution processes of dissolved organic matters during the photo-Fenton reaction were disclosed at the molecular-level.

Fast preparation of Fe3O4@polydopamine/Au for highly efficient degradation of tetracycline

This work reported the fast synthesis of magnetic polydopamine Au-Fenton catalyst (Fe₃O₄@PDA/Au) under UV irradiation at 365 nm. The microstructure of prepared nanocomposites was characterized by various techniques. The effects of several key factors (pH values, H₂O₂ content and TC concentration) of tetracycline (TC) degradation were evaluated. The results revealed that the TC and total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate reached up to 98.16% and 93.14% within 300 min under optimal conditions (pH 3, H₂O₂ 80 μL, TC concentration 20 mg/L). Besides, HO radicals were generated during the Fenton-like degradation process and the plausible degradation mechanism was discussed. Moreover, Fe₃O₄@PDA/Au catalyst retained excellent catalytic capacity (TC removal rate 96.94% and TOC removal rate 87.69%) and exhibited fantastic stability after six cycles. Moreover, metal ions leaching was evaluated (0.023 mg/L). Altogether, the novel Fe₃O₄@PDA/Au Fenton-like catalyst is highly promising for wastewater management.

A low-cost solvent-free method to synthesize α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with applications to degrade methyl orange in photo-fenton system

Hematite nanoparticles (α-Fe₂O₃ NPs) were successfully synthesized by a low-cost solvent-free reaction using Ferrous sulfate waste (FeSO₄·7H₂O) and pyrite (FeS₂) as raw materials and employed for the decolorization of Methyl Orange by the photo-Fenton system. The properties of α-Fe₂O₃ NPs before and after photo-Fenton reaction were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the optical properties of α-Fe₂O₃ NPs were analyzed by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The analytic results showed that the as-formed samples having an average diameter of ~50 nm exhibit pure phase hematite with sphere structure. Besides, little differences were found by comparing the characterization data of the particles before and after the photo-Fenton reaction, indicating that the photo-Fenton reaction was carried out in solution rather than on the surface of α-Fe₂O₃ NPs. A 2⁴ central composite design (CCD) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate and optimize the important variables. A significant quadratic model (P-value<0.0001, R² = 0.9664) was derived using an analysis of variance (ANOVA), which was adequate to perform the process variables optimization. The optimal process conditions were performed to be 395 nm of the light wavelength, pH 3.0, 5 mmol/L H₂O₂ and 1 g/L α-Fe₂O₃, and the decolorization efficiency of methyl orange was 99.55% at 4 min.

The catalytic process of poly-silicate-ferric (PSF) and generation mechanism of hydroxyl radical based on photo-Fenton system

Poly-silicate-ferric (PSF) was developed as an heterogeneous UV-Fenton catalyst, which was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalytic process of PSF and generation mechanism of hydroxyl radical based on photo-Fenton system were studied in detail. In the heterogeneous UV-Fenton system, the k_app value of Orange II degradation was as high as 0.268 min^-1, which was 1.5 times compared to that with α-FeOOH as catalyst. As a result, the Orange II decolouration and mineralization rates were as high as 99.9% and 92.5% after 40 min treatment, respectively. Moreover, the hydroxyl radical concentration would increase to a peak value of 13.4 μmol/L at about 15 min. The fundamental cause of the high hydroxyl radical generation lay in the high release ability of iron ions from PSF. The peak concentrations of total iron ions and ferrous ions could increase to 4.53 mg/L and 1.57 mg/L at 20 min and 10 min, respectively. After treatment, the re-adsorption of iron ions on the surface of PSF could avoid the additional pollution caused by iron ions. The results confirmed that PSF was a high activity catalyst for an heterogeneous UV-Fenton system.

Enhancement of photo-Fenton catalytic activity with the assistance of oxalic acid on the kaolin–FeOOH system for the degradation of organic dyes

The Fenton reaction, as an important member of the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), has gained extensive attention in recent years. However, the practical applications of the traditional Fenton process have been restricted by the poor degradation efficiency and the rigid pH range. In this study, we report a new strategy regarding the photo-Fenton oxidation of Rhodamine B (RhB) by kaolin–FeOOH (K–Fe) catalysts with the assistance of oxalic acid. It was found that the iron–oxalate complex was formed as oxalic acid was introduced into the K–Fe catalyst system by the chelation ability of oxalate. Benefiting from the high photosensitivity of the iron–oxalate complexes, the K–Fe/oxalic acid/H₂O₂/visible light system exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the degradation of RhB under the optimized reaction conditions [(K–Fe) dosage = 1.0 g L⁻¹, initial pH = 7.2, (oxalic acid) = 1.0 mM, (H₂O₂) = 0.5 mM], and its reaction rate constant for the degradation of RhB was 27.7 times greater than that of the K–Fe/H₂O₂/visible light system. More importantly, the K–Fe/oxalic acid/H₂O₂/visible system showed remarkable degradation efficiency over a wide pH range (3.3–10.8), which was superior to that of the traditional Fenton system. In addition, the degradation efficiency of RhB was found to remain at 94.7% after five cycles. This work is expected to provide an important approach for the application of the Fenton system.

Degradation mechanism of the K–Fe/oxalic acid/H₂O₂/visible light system.

Efficient photocatalytic removal of orange II by a Mn3O4-FeS2/Fe2O3 heterogeneous catalyst

Elemental doping has been proven to be an effective strategy for increasing the catalytic activity and structural stability of Fenton catalysts. Therefore, this work reports that Mn-doped FeS₂/Fe₂O₃ (Mn₃O₄-FeS₂/Fe₂O₃) has excellent catalytic performance for the degradation of Orange II under simulated solar energy. Degradation experiment results showed that the sample with a manganese-iron molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited higher activity than others. The degradation rate of 20 mg/L OII reached 99.0% in 18 min under the conditions of 0.3 g/L Mn₃O₄-FeS₂/Fe₂O₃, 5 mM H₂O₂ and pH = 2.8. In addition to, the Mn₃O₄-FeS₂/Fe₂O₃ catalyst shows good reusability for Orange II and high activity for other dyes (MB, MG, Rh B and MO) under optimal conditions. Degradation mechanism study indicated that the heterogeneous Fenton reaction was promoted by retarding the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and accelerating the cycle between Fe³⁺/Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺/Mn³⁺, which improved photo-Fenton-like catalytic performance, resulting in the enhanced degradation of organic pollutant. Finally, a possible degradation pathway was proposed according to the results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In short, the catalyst has potential application value in wastewater treatment.

Deciphering the Fenton-reaction-aid lignocellulose degradation pattern by Phanerochaete chrysosporium with ferroferric oxide nanomaterials: Enzyme secretion, straw humification and structural alteration

Nowadays, Nano-biotechnology is emerging to be one of the most promising tools in environmental remediation. In this study, the degradation efficiency of lignocellulose by white-rot fungi was improved by addition of Fe₃O₄ nanomaterials (NMs) in solid-state fermentation. The highly-ordered cellulose crystalline was demonstrated to be broken down through infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and crystallinity index analysis. The decay of fluorescence intensity presented a lower degree of aromatic polycondensation and less conjugated chromophores in lignocellulose. Mechanistic analysis showed that NMs participated in the Fenton reaction and affected lignocellulose biodegradation process by regulating enzyme secretion. Specifically, the time variation curves of hydroxyl radicals and Fe²⁺ were discussed to illustrate the degradation pattern. The NMs remained stable after the fermentation and were possible to be recycled for the next cycle. All the results support that the synergism of Fe₃O₄ NMs and white-rot fungi would be a promising research direction in lignocellulose treatment.

Removal of refractory organics in dinitrodiazophenol industrial wastewater by an ultraviolet-coupled Fenton process

A significant amount of biorefractory organic wastewater is generated during the production of dinitrodiazophenol (DDNP). In this study, ultraviolet light (254 nm) that was coupled with the Fenton (UV-Fenton) process was applied to treat refractory organics in DDNP industrial wastewater. The effects of key parameters (i.e., H₂O₂ dose, Fe²⁺ dosage, and initial pH) on the treatment efficacy for DDNP industrial wastewater by the UV-Fenton process was investigated systematically. Alcohol quenching experiments were carried out to identify reactive oxygen species in the UV-Fenton process. The treatment efficacy and degradation characteristics of refractory organics were studied and compared by using control experiments. Increasing H₂O₂ and Fe²⁺ doses could lead to improved treatment results to a different extent. A more intense reaction and better treatment results were achieved by using the UV-Fenton process at lower pH conditions. Under optimal conditions of H₂O₂ dose = 7.5 mL L⁻¹, Fe²⁺ dosage = 0.05 mM, and initial pH = 5.0, the pseudo-first order constants k for chemical oxygen demand removal and color number removal were 0.18 min⁻¹ and 1.24 min⁻¹, and the chemical oxygen demand and color number removal efficiencies were 74.24% and 99.94%, respectively. The treatment results for the UV-Fenton process were better than other processes under the same conditions, and a significant synergetic effect was observed for the UV-Fenton process. Alcohol quenching experiments indicated that the predominant reactive oxygen species in the UV-Fenton process was the hydroxyl radical (·OH). Because more ·OH was produced, the UV-Fenton process exhibited a much better treatment performance in degrading and destroying organic structures (i.e., benzene rings, –NO₂, and –N Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> N–). Furthermore, the biodegradability indicated by the biological oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand ratio was improved considerably to 0.48 from 0.054. The good treatment performance by UV-Fenton allowed for a more efficient electrical energy consumption compared with the UV and UV-H₂O₂. This study provides a theoretical reference for DDNP industrial wastewater treatment by using the UV-Fenton process.

In this study, ultraviolet-Fenton process was applied to degrade refractory organics in dinitrodiazophenol industrial wastewater. In addition, the treatment efficiency and reaction mechanism were systematically investigated.

Application of pea-like yolk–shell structured Fe3O4@TiO2 nanosheets for photocatalytic and photo-Fenton oxidation of bisphenol-A

Uniform pea-like yolk–shell (PLYS) structured magnetic TiO₂(PLYS-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂) nanosheets have been prepared via a combined kinetics-controlled mechanical force-driven and hydrothermal etching assisted crystallization method and characterized.

EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidation for the degradation of malachite green

Industrial waste, urban sewage and aquaculture have led to severely increased grades of environment pollutants such as dyes, pesticides and fertilizer. The use of technologies for purifying contaminated waters can be difficult and toxic due to the anti-photolysis, anti-oxidation and anti-bio-oxidation characteristics of organic pollutants, and there is therefore a significant need for new approaches. Here, we report methods of Fenton oxidation and EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidation which can be used to degrade malachite green (MG: a dye and antibiotic-like substance) from contaminated water. Compared with the degradation rate (59.34%) of the Fe(III)/H₂O₂ Fenton process, the EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidation got a better degradation rate (92.7%) at neutral pH conditions. By conducting a series of parallel controlled experiments (changing parameters such as the reactant concentration, temperature, and pH), we report the relationships between the degradation effect and different parameters, and we fitted their pseudo first order kinetic curves. Furthermore, we repeated to adjustment of the concentrations of MG in solutions to test the cycle performance and catalytic activities of EDTA-Fe(III)/H₂O₂ system and it showed good repeatability in the first five rounds and all of them keep the degradation efficiencies greater than 80%. By conducting comparative spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, we showed indirectly that the OH contributes to the degradation of MG. Additionally, the results of the EPR experiments showed that EDTA contributes to the generation of OH in the EDTA-Fe(III)/H₂O₂ Fenton-like system. By conducting total organic carbon (TOC) analysis experiments, we found that EDTA was also oxidized to some extent during the degradation of MG. In all, the findings of this work widen the range of the optimal pH values up to neutral condition for degradation of MG by use of EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like system. And this system could be used as one approach for the degradation of organic pollutants at neutral conditions and provide some initial information regarding EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidations. It's significant for the expansion of the homogenous Fenton-like family and its application in the field of water treatment.

Benzothiazole heterogeneous photodegradation in nano α-Fe2O3/oxalate system under UV light irradiation

The photodegradation of benzothiazole (BTH) in wastewater with the coexistence of iron oxides and oxalic acid under UV light irradiation was investigated. Results revealed that an effective heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like system could be set up for BTH abatement in wastewater under UV irradiation without additional H₂O₂, and 88.1% BTH was removed with the addition of 2.0 mmol l^-1 oxalic acid and 0.2 g l^-1 α-Fe₂O₃ using a 500 W high-pressure mercury lamp (365 nm). The degradation of BTH in the photo-Fenton-like system followed the first-order kinetic model. The photoproduction of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in different systems was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Identification of transformation products by using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry provided information about six transformation products formed during the photodegradation of BTH. Further insight was obtained by monitoring concentrations of the sulfate ion (SO42-) and nitrate ion (NO3-) , which demonstrated that the intermediate products of BTH could be decomposed ultimately. Based on the results, the potential photodegradation pathway of BTH was also proposed.