Electrochemical degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid in aqueous medium by peroxi-coagulation. Effect of pH and UV light

Recent advancements in peroxicoagulation process: An updated review

The present article describes the recent advancements (since 2018) in peroxicoagulation (PC) process, which was introduced by Professor Enric Brillas and his group in 1997. Instead of checking the efficiency of PC process to degrade a targeted pollutant in synthetic wastewater, researchers started testing its efficacy for the treatment of complex real wastewater. Applications like disinfection and removal of heavy metals as well as oxidative removal of arsenite from water were tested recently. To improve the efficiency of PC process, modifications were made for electrode materials (both anode and cathode) and electrolytic cells. Performance of PC process in combination with other treatment technologies is also discussed.

Upgrading the peroxi-coagulation treatment of complex water matrices using a magnetically assembled mZVI/DSA anode: Insights into the importance of ClO radical

The electrochemical technologies for water treatment have flourished over the last decades. However, it is still challenging to treat the actual complex water effluents by a single electrochemical process, often requiring coupling of technologies. In this study, an upgraded peroxi-coagulation (PC) process with a magnetically assembled mZVI/DSA anode has been devised for the first time. COD, NH₃-N and total phosphorous were simultaneously and effectively removed from livestock wastewater. The advantages, influence of key parameters and evolution of electrogenerated species were systematically investigated to fully understand this novel PC process. The fluorescent substances in livestock wastewater could also be almost removed under optimal conditions (300 mA, 0.2 g ZVI particles and pH 6.8). The interaction between OH and active chlorine yielded ClO with a high steady-state concentration of 6.85 × 10^-13 M, which did not cause COD removal but accelerated the oxidation of NH₃-N. The Mulliken population suggested that OH and NH₃-N had similar electron-donor behavior, whereas ClO acted as an electron-withdrawing species. Besides, although the energy barrier for the reaction between OH and NH₃-N (17.0 kcal/mol) was lower than that with ClO (18.8 kcal/mol), considering the tunneling in the H abstraction reaction, the Skodje-Truhlar method adopted for calculations evidenced a 17-fold faster NH₃-N oxidation rate with ClO. In summary, this work describes an advantageous single electrochemical process for the effective treatment of a complex water matrix.

Electrosynthesis of H2O2 through a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction by carbon based catalysts: From mechanism, catalyst design to electrode fabrication

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an efficient oxidant with multiple uses ranging from chemical synthesis to wastewater treatment. The in-situ H₂O₂ production via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) will bring H₂O₂ beyond its current applications. The development of carbon materials offers the hope for obtaining inexpensive and high-performance alternatives to substitute noble-metal catalysts in order to provide a full and comprehensive picture of the current state of the art treatments and inspire new research in this area. Herein, the most up-to-date findings in theoretical predictions, synthetic methodologies, and experimental investigations of carbon-based catalysts are systematically summarized. Various electrode fabrication and modification methods were also introduced and compared, along with our original research on the air-breathing cathode and three-phase interface theory inside a porous electrode. In addition, our current understanding of the challenges, future directions, and suggestions on the carbon-based catalyst designs and electrode fabrication are highlighted.

Energy-efficient removal of carbamazepine in solution by electrocoagulation-electrofenton using a novel P-rGO cathode

In this study, carbamazepine (CBZ) decay in solution has been studied by coupling electrocoagulation with electro-Fenton (EC-EF) with a novel P-rGO/carbon felt (CF) cathode, aiming to accelerate the in-situ generation of •OH, instead of adding Fe²⁺ and H₂O₂. Firstly, the fabricated P-rGO and its derived cathode were characterized by XRD, SEM, AFM, XPS and electrochemical test (EIS, CV and LSV). Secondly, it was confirmed that the performance in removal efficiency and electric energy consumption (EEC) by EC-EF (k_obs=0.124 min^-1, EEC=43.98 kWh/kg CBZ) was better than EF (k_obs=0.069 min^-1, EEC=61.04 kWh/kg CBZ). Then, P-rGO/CF (k_obs=0.248 min^-1, EEC=29.47 kWh/kg CBZ, CE=61.04%) showed the best performance in EC-EF, among all studied heteroatom-doped graphene/CF. This superior performance may be associated with its largest layer spacing and richest C=C, which can promote the electron transfer rate and conductivity of the cathode. Thus, more H₂O₂ and •OH could be produced to degrade CBZ, and almost 100% CBZ was removed with k_obs being 0.337 min^-1 and the EEC was only 24.18 kWh/kg CBZ, under the optimal conditions (P-rGO loading was 6.0 mg/cm², the current density was 10.0 mA/cm², the gap between electrode was 2.0 cm). Additionally, no matter the influent is acidic, neutral or alkaline, no additional pH adjustment is required for the effluent of EC-EF. At last, an inconsecutive empirical kinetic model was firstly established to predict the effect of operating parameters on CBZ removal.

Arsenic Removal by Advanced Electrocoagulation Processes: The Role of Oxidants Generated and Kinetic Modeling

Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring element in the environment that poses significant risks to human health. Several treatment technologies have been successfully used in the treatment of As-contaminated waters. However, limited literature has explored advanced electrocoagulation (EC) processes for As removal. The present study evaluates the As removal performance of electrocoagulation, electrochemical peroxidation (ECP), and photo-assisted electrochemical peroxidation (PECP) technologies at circumneutral pH using electroactive iron electrodes. The influence of As speciation and the role of oxidants in As removal were investigated. We have identified the ECP process to be a promising alternative for the conventional EC with around 4-fold increase in arsenic removal capacity at a competitive cost of 0.0060 $/m3. Results also indicated that the rate of As(III) oxidation at the outset of electrochemical treatment dictates the extent of As removal. Both ECP and PECP processes reached greater than 96% As(III) conversion at 1 C/L and achieved 86% and 96% As removal at 5 C/L, respectively. Finally, the mechanism of As(III) oxidation was evaluated, and results showed that Fe(IV) is the intermediate oxidant generated in advanced EC processes, and the contribution of •OH brought by UV irradiation is insignificant.

Performance and mechanism of methylene blue degradation by an electrochemical process

An exciting electrochemical oxidation (EO) process has been developed. Compared with electro-Fenton (EF) and electro-coagulation (EC) processes, this process had more advantages in the degradation of methylene blue. It is observed that methylene blue can be quickly degraded by EO, in which an iron rod is used as an anode, graphite is used as a cathode, and fly ash-red mud particles are used as particle electrodes. Compared to EC and EF processes that are affected by specific pH values, EO has excellent performance in the pH range of 3.0-11.0. In addition, the electric energy consumption (EEC) of EF, EC and EO is 81.51, 36.55 and 21.35 kW h m-3 respectively, suggesting EO is more economical. The free radical scavenging mechanism of i-PrOH is studied, and the contribution of EC, EF and fly ash-red mud particle electrodes in EO is inferred. Particle electrodes before and after use are characterized by SEM, EDS and BET to illustrate the role of particle electrodes in the EO system. Analysis of flocs and solutions by FTIR and GC-MS proves that EO can effectively degrade methylene blue, and the degradation route of methylene blue is speculated. The particle electrode dissolution experiment shows that the prepared fly ash-red mud particle electrode is considered to be suitable and safe for wastewater treatment. Finally, in actual surface water experiments, the EO process still has great potential.

Hydroxyl radical formation in the hybrid system of photocatalytic fuel cell and peroxi-coagulation process affected by iron plate and UV light

The hybrid electrochemical system of photocatalytic fuel cell - peroxi-coagulation (PFC-PC) is a combined technology of advanced oxidation process (AOP) which involve the hydroxyl radical formation for simultaneous degradation of organic pollutant and electricity generation. The p-nitrosodimethylaniline (RNO) spin trapping technique was applied by analyzing the RNO bleaching performance to detect the OH at the PFC and PC reactors. The presence of UV light showed higher RNO bleaching rate at the PFC reactor (11.7%) with maximum power density (P_max = 3.14 mW cm^-2). Results revealed that the optimum of maximum power density was observed at iron plate size of 30 cm². UV light became a limiting factor in the PFC system as a power source in the PFC-PC system. Meanwhile, iron plate plays an important role to supply the soluble Fe²⁺ ions by oxidation process and become a suitable catalyst for in-situ production of H₂O₂ and OH through the PC process to degrade the organic molecules.

Cost-efficient improvement of coking wastewater biodegradability by multi-stages flow through peroxi-coagulation under low current load

Cost-effective pretreatment of the highly concentrated and biorefractory coking wastewater to improve biodegradability is of significant importance, while green electrochemical technologies without external chemicals addition are charming but still challenging due to its high energy consumption. In this work, a novel multi-stages flow through peroxi-coagulation (PC) was for the first time developed with graphite felt cathode modified by graphene, showing an excellent performance in removal of 71.5% COD, 72.3% phenol and 59.4% NH₃-N and significant biodegradability enhancement with a low energy consumption as 1.2 kWh/m³. Compared with conventional flow PC, this process was more cost-effective due to more intensive ^.OH production and higher utilization of generated active species. Through UV spectrophotometry and GC-MS analysis, the improvement of biodegradability was attributed to the reduction of both low and high molecular weight compounds content in the coking wastewater. Comparing to the electro-Fenton, electrocoagulation and ozonation process, the proposed PC process was highly cost-effective, providing a promising and new alternative for pretreatment of coking wastewater.

Elucidating the effects of different photoanode materials on electricity generation and dye degradation in a sustainable hybrid system of photocatalytic fuel cell and peroxi-coagulation process

The hybrid system of photocatalytic fuel cell - peroxi-coagulation (PFC-PC) is a sustainable and green technology to degrade organic pollutants and generate electricity simultaneously. In this study, three different types of photocatalysts: TiO₂, ZnO and α-Fe₂O₃ were immobilized respectively on carbon cloth (CC), and applied as photoanodes in the photocatalytic fuel cell of this hybrid system. Photocatalytic fuel cell was employed to drive a peroxi-coagulation process by generating the external voltage accompanying with degrading organic pollutants under UV light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of Amaranth dye and power output in the hybrid system of PFC-PC were evaluated by applying different photoanode materials fabricated in this study. In addition, the effect of light on the photocurrent of three different photoanode materials was investigated. In the absence of light, the reduction of photocurrent percentage was found to be 69.7%, 17.3% and 93.2% in TiO₂/CC, ZnO/CC and α-Fe₂O₃/CC photoanodes, respectively. A maximum power density (1.17 mWcm^-2) and degradation of dye (93.8%) at PFC reactor were achieved by using ZnO/CC as photoanode. However, the different photoanode materials at PFC showed insignificant difference in dye degradation trend in the PC reactor. Meanwhile, the degradation trend of Amaranth at PFC reactor was influenced by the recombination rate, electron mobility and band gap energy of photocatalyst among different photoanode materials.

Fenton-based electrochemical degradation of metolachlor in aqueous solution by means of BDD and Pt electrodes: influencing factors and reaction pathways

This work explores the role of electrode material and the oxidation ability of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), such as electro-oxidation (EO) with or without H₂O₂ production, electro-Fenton (EF), and UVA photoelectron-Fenton (PEF), in the degradation of metolachlor. The performance of the EAOPs using Boron-doped diamond (BDD) or Pt as anode has been compared from the analysis of decay kinetics, mineralization profile, and energy consumption using small undivided batch cell. Metolachlor concentration always decays following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Using the Pt anode, none of the processes reaches 30% mineralization, including PEF. In contrast, the BDD anode showed a higher mineralization rate allowing almost total mineralization in PEF due to the synergetic action of UVA light and oxidant hydroxyl radicals formed in the bulk from Fenton's reaction, as well as in the BDD, which has large reactivity to oxidize the pollutants. The increase in current density and decrease in metolachlor concentration accelerated the mineralization in PEF, although lower current efficiency and higher energy consumption was obtained. The GC-MS and HPLC analysis allowed the identification of up to 17 aromatics intermediates and 7 short-chain carboxylic acids. Finally, a reaction pathway for metolachlor mineralization by EAOPs is proposed. PEF with BDD allowed total removal of the herbicide in real water matrix and a high mineralization (83.82%).

The Role of Mediated Oxidation on the Electro-irradiated Treatment of Amoxicillin and Ampicillin Polluted Wastewater

In this work, the electrolysis, photoelectrolysis and sonoelectrolysis with diamond electrodes of amoxicillin (AMX) and ampicillin (AMP) solutions were studied in the context of the search for technologies capable of removing antibiotics from liquid wastes. Single-irradiation processes (sonolysis and photolysis) were also evaluated for comparison. Results showed that AMX and AMP are completely degraded and mineralized by electrolysis in both chloride and sulfate media, although the efficiency is higher in the presence of chloride. The effect of the current density on mineralization efficiency is not relevant and this may be related to the role of mediated oxidation. Irradiation by ultraviolet light or ultrasound (US) waves does not produce a synergistic effect on the mineralization of AMX and AMP solutions. This indicates that the massive formation of radicals during the combined processes can favor their recombination to form stable and less reactive species.

Treatment of an azo dye effluent by peroxi-coagulation and its comparison to traditional electrochemical advanced processes

Peroxi-coagulation (PC) is an interesting new process that has not been widely studied in the literature. This work presents the application of this technology to treat an azo dye synthetic effluent, studying the effect of different parameters including initial pH, current density (j), initial dye concentration and supporting electrolyte. The two former variables significantly affected the colour removal of the wastewater, followed by the initial dye concentration and the kind of electrolyte, in a lesser extent. The optimum operating conditions achieved were initial pH of 3.0, j = 33.3 mA cm^-2, 100 mg L^-1 of methyl orange (MO) and Na₂SO₄ as supporting electrolyte. The performance of PC was also compared to other electrochemical advanced processes, under similar experimental conditions. Results indicate that the kinetic decay of the MO increases in the following order: electrocoagulation (EC) < electrochemical oxidation (EO) with electrogenerated H₂O₂ << PC < electro-Fenton (EF). This behaviour is given to the high oxidant character of the homogenous OH radicals generated by EF and PC approaches. The EO process with production of H₂O₂ (EO-H₂O₂) is limited by mass transport and the EC, as a separation method, takes longer times to achieve similar removal results. Energy requirements about 0.06 kWh g_COD^-1, 0.09 kWh g_COD^-1, 0.7 kWh g_COD^-1 and 0.1 kWh g_COD^-1 were achieved for PC, EF, EO-H₂O₂ and EC, respectively. Degradation intermediates were monitored and carboxylic acids were detected for PC and EF processes, being rapidly removed by the former technology. PC emerges as a promising and competitive alternative for wastewaters depollution, among other oxidative approaches.

New perspectives for Advanced Oxidation Processes

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are called to fill the gap between the treatability attained by conventional physico-chemical and biological treatments and the day-to-day more exigent limits fixed by environmental regulations. They are particularly important for the removal of anthropogenic pollutants and for this reason, they have been widely investigated in the last decades and even applied in the treatment of many industrial wastewater flows. However, despite the great development reached, AOPs cannot be considered mature yet and there are many new fields worthy of research. Some of them are going to be briefly introduced in this paper, including hybrid processes, heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysis, sulphate-radical oxidation and electrochemical advanced oxidation for water/wastewater treatment. Moreover, the use of photoelectrochemical processes for energy production is discussed. The work ends with some perspectives that can be of interest for the ongoing and future research.

Electrochemical destruction of trans-cinnamic acid by advanced oxidation processes: kinetics, mineralization, and degradation route

Acidic solutions of trans-cinnamic acid at pH 3.0 have been comparatively treated by anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H₂O₂ (AO-H₂O₂), electro-Fenton (EF), and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). The electrolytic experiments were carried out with a boron-doped diamond (BDD)/air-diffusion cell. The substrate was very slowly abated by AO-H₂O₂ because of its low reaction rate with oxidizing ^•OH produced from water discharge at the BDD anode. In contrast, its removal was very rapid and at similar rate by EF and PEF due to the additional oxidation by ^•OH in the bulk, formed from Fenton's reaction between cathodically generated H₂O₂ and added Fe²⁺. The AO-H₂O₂ treatment yielded the lowest mineralization. The EF process led to persistent final products like Fe(III) complexes, which were quickly photolyzed upon UVA irradiation in PEF to give an almost total mineralization with 98 % total organic carbon removal. The effect of current density and substrate concentration on all the mineralization processes was examined. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of electrolyzed solutions allowed identifying five primary aromatics and one heteroaromatic molecule, whereas final carboxylic acids like fumaric, acetic, and oxalic were quantified by ion exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). From all the products detected, a degradation route for trans-cinnamic acid is proposed.

Salicylic acid degradation by advanced oxidation processes. Coupling of solar photoelectro-Fenton and solar heterogeneous photocatalysis

A 3.0 L solar flow plant with a Pt/air-diffusion (anode/cathode) cell, a solar photoreactor and a photocatalytic photoreactor filled with TiO2-coated glass spheres has been utilized to couple solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) and solar heterogeneous photocatalysis (SPC) for treating a 165mgL(-1) salicylic acid solution of pH 3.0. Organics were destroyed by OH radicals formed on the TiO2 photocatalyst and at the Pt anode during water oxidation and in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between added Fe(2+) and cathodically generated H2O2, along with the photolytic action of sunlight. Poor salicylic acid removal and mineralization were attained using SPC, anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H2O2 (AO-H2O2) and coupled AO-H2O2-SPC. The electro-Fenton process accelerated the substrate decay, but with low mineralization by the formation of byproducts that are hardly destroyed by OH. The mineralization was strongly increased by SPEF due to the photolysis of products by sunlight, being enhanced by coupled SPEF-SPC due to the additional oxidation by OH at the TiO2 surface. The effect of current density on the performance of both processes was examined. The most potent SPEF-SPC process at 150mAcm(-2) yielded 87% mineralization and 13% current efficiency after consuming 6.0AhL(-1). Maleic, fumaric and oxalic acids detected as final carboxylic acids were completely removed by SPEF and SPEF-SPC.

Degradation of trans-ferulic acid in acidic aqueous medium by anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton

Solutions of pH 3.0 containing trans-ferulic acid, a phenolic compound in olive oil mill wastewater, have been comparatively degraded by anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H2O2 (AO-H2O2), electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). Trials were performed with a BDD/air-diffusion cell, where oxidizing OH was produced from water discharge at the BDD anode and/or in the solution bulk from Fenton's reaction between cathodically generated H2O2 and added catalytic Fe(2+). The substrate was very slowly removed by AO-H2O2, whereas it was very rapidly abated by EF and PEF, at similar rate in both cases, due to its fast reaction with OH in the bulk. The AO-H2O2 process yielded a slightly lower mineralization than EF, which promoted the accumulation of barely oxidizable products like Fe(III) complexes. In contrast, the fast photolysis of these latter species under irradiation with UVA light in PEF led to an almost total mineralization with 98% total organic carbon decay. The effect of current density and substrate concentration on the performance of all treatments was examined. Several solar PEF (SPEF) trials showed its viability for the treatment of wastewater containing trans-ferulic acid at larger scale. Four primary aromatic products were identified by GC-MS analysis of electrolyzed solutions, and final carboxylic acids like fumaric, acetic and oxalic were detected by ion-exclusion HPLC. A reaction sequence for trans-ferulic acid mineralization involving all the detected products is finally proposed.

Comparative electrochemical degradation of salicylic and aminosalicylic acids: Influence of functional groups on decay kinetics and mineralization

Solutions of 100 mL with 1.20 mM of salicylic acid (SA), 4-aminosalicylic acid (4-ASA) or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) have been comparatively degraded by anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H2O2 (AO-H2O2), electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). Trials were carried out with a stirred tank reactor with a BDD anode and an air-diffusion cathode for continuous H2O2 production. A marked influence of the functional groups of the drugs was observed in their decay kinetics, increasing in the order SA < 5-ASA < 4-ASA in AO-H2O2 and 5-ASA < SA < 4-ASA in EF and PEF, due to the different attack of OH generated at the BDD surface and in the bulk from Fenton's reaction, respectively. This effect was clearly observed when varying the current density between 16.7 and 100 mA cm(-2). The relative mineralization power of the processes always followed the sequence: AO-H2O2 < EF < PEF. The three drugs underwent analogous mineralization abatement up to 88% by AO-H2O2 at 100 mA cm(-2). The mineralization rate in EF and PEF grew in the order: 4-ASA < 5-ASA < SA. The most powerful process was PEF, attaining >98% mineralization for all the drugs at 100 mA cm(-2). Oxalic and oxamic acids were detected as final short-linear aliphatic carboxylic acids by ion-exclusion HPLC, allowing the fast photolysis of their Fe(III) complexes by UVA light to justify the high power of PEF.

Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by metal-oxide-coated Ti electrodes

Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) over metal-oxide-coated Ti anodes, i.e., Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2, was examined. The degradation efficiency of over 90% was attained at 20 min at different initial concentrations (0.5-20 mg L(-1)) and initial pH values (3.1-11.2). The degradation efficiencies of 2,4,5-T on Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2 anodes were higher than 99.9%, 97.2% and 91.5% at 30 min, respectively, and the respective total organic carbon removal ratios were 65.7%, 54.6% and 37.2%. The electrochemical degradation of 2,4,5-T in aqueous solution followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The compounds, i.e., 2,5-dichlorohydroquinone and 2,5-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone, have been identified as the main aromatic intermediates by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the energy efficiencies of 2,4,5-T (20 mg L(-1)) degradation with Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2 anode at the optimal current densities from 2 to 16 mA cm(-2) ranged from 8.21 to 18.73 kWh m(-3).

Decolorization and mineralization of Allura Red AC azo dye by solar photoelectro-Fenton: Identification of intermediates

The degradation of 2.5L of Allura Red AC solutions in sulfate medium containing 0.50mM Fe(2+) has been studied by solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) using a flow plant equipped with a Pt/air-diffusion cell and a solar photoreactor. Comparative electro-Fenton treatment yielded rapid total decolorization but poor mineralization, since most products were slowly destroyed by OH formed from Fenton's reaction between Fe(2+) and H2O2 generated at the air-diffusion cathode. In contrast, the potent action of UV radiation from sunlight in SPEF allowed the rapid photolysis of recalcitrant intermediates, thus giving rise to a quick mineralization. Sulfate and nitrate ions, along with a large proportion of volatile N-derivatives, were always released. The increase in current density and decrease in azo dye concentration accelerated the decolorization and mineralization in SPEF, although lower current efficiency and greater specific energy consumption were obtained. The most cost-effective SPEF treatment was found for 460 mg L(-1) azo dye in 0.05 M Na2SO4 at 50 mA cm(-2), which yielded 95% mineralization with 81% current efficiency and 8.50 kW h m(-3). No significant effect of sulfate concentration was found. Up to 16 aromatic intermediates and 11 short-chain carboxylic acids, including oxalic and oxamic as the most persistent ones, were detected by GC-MS and HPLC. The large oxidation ability of SPEF can be explained by the quick photolysis of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes and other undetected intermediates.

Electrolytic removal of Rhodamine B from aqueous solution by peroxicoagulation process

Peroxicoagulation treatment of aqueous solution containing hazardous dye, Rhodamine B, with commercially available graphite as cathode and iron as anode has been studied. The effect of various operational parameters such as solution pH, applied voltage, electrode area, other ions, etc. on the dye removal was investigated. The experimental result showed that pH-regulated peroxicoagulation system is an efficient process for the dye removal. Ninety-five percent of the dye was removed after 180 min of electrolysis. Anions such as carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride and sulphate negatively affected the efficiency of peroxicoagulation system. From the present study, it can be concluded that peroxicoagulation process is an efficient tool for dye removal from aqueous solution.

Electro-Fenton degradation of the antibiotic sulfanilamide with Pt/carbon-felt and BDD/carbon-felt cells. Kinetics, reaction intermediates, and toxicity assessment

The degradation of 230 mL of a 0.6-mM sulfanilamide solution in 0.05 M Na₂SO₄ of pH 3.0 has been studied by electro-Fenton process. The electrolytic cell contained either a Pt or boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and a carbon-felt cathode. Under these conditions, organics are oxidized by hydroxyl radicals formed at the anode surface from water oxidation and in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between initially added (and then electrochemically regenerated) Fe(2+) and cathodically generated H₂O₂. From the decay of sulfanilamide concentration determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography, an optimum Fe(2+) concentration of 0.20 mM in both cells was found. The drug disappeared more rapidly using BDD than Pt, and, in both cases, it was more quickly removed with raising applied current. Almost total mineralization was achieved using the BDD/carbon-felt cell, whereas the alternative use of Pt anode led to a slightly lower mineralization degree. In both cells, the degradation rate was accelerated at higher current but with the concomitant fall of mineralization current efficiency due to the greater increase in rate of the parasitic reactions of hydroxyl radicals. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography allowed the identification of catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, and 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene as aromatic intermediates, whereas ion exclusion chromatography revealed the formation of malic, maleic, fumaric, acetic, oxalic, formic, and oxamic acids. NH₄(+), NO₃(-), and SO₄(2-) ions were released during the electro-Fenton process. A plausible reaction sequence for sulfanilamide mineralization involving all detected intermediates has been proposed. The toxicity of the solution was assessed from the Vibrio fischeri bacteria luminescence inhibition. Although it acquired its maximum value at short electrolysis time, the solution was completely detoxified at the end of the electro-Fenton treatment, regardless of the anode used.

Electrochemical advanced oxidation and biological processes for wastewater treatment: a review of the combined approaches

As pollution becomes one of the biggest environmental challenges of the twenty-first century, pollution of water threatens the very existence of humanity, making immediate action a priority. The most persistent and hazardous pollutants come from industrial and agricultural activities; therefore, effective treatment of this wastewater prior to discharge into the natural environment is the solution. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have caused increased interest due to their ability to degrade hazardous substances in contrast to other methods, which mainly only transfer pollution from wastewater to sludge, a membrane filter, or an adsorbent. Among a great variety of different AOPs, a group of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), including electro-Fenton, is emerging as an environmental-friendly and effective treatment process for the destruction of persistent hazardous contaminants. The only concern that slows down a large-scale implementation is energy consumption and related investment and operational costs. A combination of EAOPs with biological treatment is an interesting solution. In such a synergetic way, removal efficiency is maximized, while minimizing operational costs. The goal of this review is to present cutting-edge research for treatment of three common and problematic pollutants and effluents: dyes and textile wastewater, olive processing wastewater, and pharmaceuticals and hospital wastewater. Each of these types is regarded in terms of recent scientific research on individual electrochemical, individual biological and a combined synergetic treatment.

Mineralization of sulfanilamide by electro-Fenton and solar photoelectro-Fenton in a pre-pilot plant with a Pt/air-diffusion cell

The mineralization of sulfanilamide solutions at pH 3.0 was comparatively studied by electro-Fenton (EF) and solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) using a 2.5 L pre-pilot plant containing a Pt/air-diffusion cell coupled with a solar photoreactor. Organics were primordially oxidized by hydroxyl radical (OH) formed from Fenton's reaction between H₂O₂ generated at the cathode and added Fe(2+) and/or under the action of sunlight. A mineralization up to 94% was achieved using SPEF, whereas EF yielded much poorer degradation. The effect of current density and Fe(2+) and drug concentrations on the degradation rate, mineralization current efficiency and energy cost per unit DOC mass of EF and/or SPEF was examined. The sulfanilamide decay always followed a pseudo first-order kinetics, being more rapid in SPEF due to the additional generation of OH induced by sunlight on Fe(III) species. Catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone were identified as aromatic intermediates. The final solutions treated by EF contained Fe(III) complexes of maleic, fumaric, oxamic and mainly oxalic acids, which are hardly destroyed by OH. The quick photolysis of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes by sunlight explains the higher oxidation ability of SPEF. The N content of sulfanilamide was mainly mineralized as NH₄⁺ ion and in much lesser extent as NO₃⁻ ion, whereas most of its initial S was converted into SO₄²⁻ ion.

Electrochemical mineralization of the azo dye Acid Red 29 (Chromotrope 2R) by photoelectro-Fenton process

The degradation of 100 mL of 244 mg L(-1) of the azo dye Acid Red 29 (AR29) has been studied by photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) using an undivided cell containing a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an air-diffusion cathode under UVA irradiation. The effect of current density, concentration of catalytic Fe(2+) and pH on the process was examined. Quick decolorization and almost total mineralization were achieved due to the synergistic action of UVA light and oxidant hydroxyl radicals formed in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between electrogenerated H(2)O(2) at the cathode and added Fe(2+), as well as in the BDD surface from water oxidation. Optimum PEF conditions were found for 0.5-1.0 mM Fe(2+) and pH 3.0. Comparable electro-Fenton (EF) degradations in the dark yielded much poorer mineralization. The decay kinetics of AR29 followed a pseudo-first-order reaction with similar rate for EF and PEF. The azo dye disappeared much more rapidly than solution color, suggesting the formation of colored conjugated products with λ(max) similar to that of AR29. Ion-exclusion HPLC allowed the detection and quantification of tetrahydroxy-p-benzoquinone, oxalic, oxalacetic, tartronic, tartaric, oxamic, malonic and fumaric acids as intermediates in the PEF process. Oxalic acid, accumulated in large extent, was quickly destroyed by the efficient photolysis of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes with UVA light, whereas tartronic and oxamic acids were the most persistent byproducts because of the larger stability of their Fe(III) complexes. The mineralization of the initial N of the azo dye yielded NH(4)(+) ion and NO(3)(-) ion in smaller proportion.

Optimization of the electro-Fenton and solar photoelectro-Fenton treatments of sulfanilic acid solutions using a pre-pilot flow plant by response surface methodology

A central composite rotatable design and response surface methodology were used to optimize the experimental variables of the electro-Fenton (EF) and solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) degradations of 2.5L of sulfanilic acid solutions in 0.05M Na(2)SO(4). Electrolyses were performed with a pre-pilot flow plant containing a Pt/air diffusion reactor generating H(2)O(2). In SPEF, it was coupled with a solar photoreactor under an UV irradiation intensity of ca. 31Wm(-2). Optimum variables of 100mAcm(-2), 0.5mM Fe(2+) and pH 4.0 were determined after 240min of EF and 120min of SPEF. Under these conditions, EF gave 47% of mineralization, whereas SPEF was much more powerful yielding 76% mineralization with 275kWh kg(-1) total organic carbon (TOC) energy consumption and 52% current efficiency. Sulfanilic acid decayed at similar rate in both treatments following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The final solution treated by EF contained a stable mixture of tartaric, acetic, oxalic and oxamic acids, which form Fe(III) complexes that are not attacked by hydroxyl radicals formed from H(2)O(2) and added Fe(2+). The quick photolysis of these complexes by UV light of sunlight explains the higher oxidation power of SPEF. NH(4)(+) was the main inorganic nitrogen ion released in both processes.

Degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by a novel Electro-Fe(II)/Oxone process using iron sheet as the sacrificial anode

A novel electrochemically enhanced advanced oxidation process for the destruction of organic contaminants in aqueous solution is reported in this study. The process involves the use of an iron (Fe) sheet as sacrificial anode and a graphite bar as cathode. In the oxidation process, once an electric current is applied between the anode and the cathode, a predetermined amount of Oxone is added to the reactor. Ferrous ions generated from the sacrificed Fe anode mediate the generation of highly powerful radicals (SO(4)(•-)) through the decomposition of Oxone. The coupled process of Fe(II)/Oxone and electrochemical treatment (Electro-Fe(II)/Oxone) was evaluated in terms of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid degradation in aqueous solution. Various parameters were investigated to optimize the process, including applied current, electrolyte and Oxone concentration. In addition, low solution pH facilitates the system performance due to the dual effects of weak Fenton reagent generation and persulfate ions generation, whereas the system performance was inhibited at basic pH levels through non-radical self-dissociation of Oxone and the formation of ferric hydroxide precipitates. Furthermore, the active radicals involved in the Electro-Fe(II)/Oxone process were also identified. The Electro-Fe(II)/Oxone process demonstrates a very high 2,4,5-T degradation efficiency (over 90% decay within 10 min), which justifies the novel Electro-Fe(II)/Oxone a promising treatment process for herbicide removal in water.

Removal of arsenite by simultaneous electro-oxidation and electro-coagulation process

An electrochemical reactor was built and used to remove arsenite from water. In this reactor, arsenite can be oxidized into arsenate, which was removed by electro-coagulation process simultaneously. The reactor mainly included dimension stable anode (DSA) and iron plate electrode. Oxidation of arsenite will occur at the DSA electrode in the electrochemical process. Meantime, the iron ions can be generated by the electro-induced process and iron oxides will form. Thus, the arsenic was removed by coagulation process. Influencing factors on the removal of arsenite were investigated. It is found that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions promoted the removal of arsenite. However, Cl(-), CO(3)(2-), SiO(3)(2-), and PO(4)(3-) ions inhibited the arsenic removal. And, it is observed that the inhibition effect was the largest in the presence of PO(4)(3-). Furthermore, it is observed that the removal efficiency of arsenate is the largest in the pH value of 8. Increase or decrease of pH value did not benefit to the arsenite removal. Fourier transform infrared spectra were used to analyze the floc particles, it is suggested that the removal mechanism of As(III) in this system seems to be oxidative of As(III) to As(V) and to be removed by adsorption/complexation with metal hydroxides generated in the process.