A kinetic model for the degradation of benzothiazole by Fe3+-photo-assisted Fenton process in a completely mixed batch reactor

The principle of detailed balancing, the iron-catalyzed disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide, and the Fenton reaction

The iron-catalyzed disproportionation of H₂O₂ has been investigated for over a century, as has been its ability to induce the oxidation of other species present in the system (Fenton reaction). The mechanisms of these reactions have been under consideration at least since 1932. Unfortunately, little or no attention has been paid to ensuring the conformity of the proposed mechanisms and rate constants with the constraints of the principle of detailed balancing. Here we identify more than 200 publications having mechanisms that violate the principle of detailed balancing. These violations occur through the use of incorrect values for certain rate constants, the use of incorrect forms of the rate laws for certain steps in the mechanisms, and the inclusion of illegal loops. A core mechanism for the iron-catalyzed decomposition of H₂O₂ is proposed that is consistent with the principle of detailed balancing and includes both the one-electron oxidation of H₂O₂ by Fe(III) and the Fe(II) reduction of HO₂˙.

Complete benzothiazole elimination by the solar photo-Fenton process in aqueous and β-cyclodextrin solutions

Benzothiazole (BTH), a ubiquitous contaminant, was degraded by the solar photo-Fenton process using a solar reactor with a cylindrical-parabolic solar collector and by a classical photo-Fenton system with UV irradiation lamps.

Degradation of phenol by coal-based carbon membrane integrating sulfate radicals-based advanced oxidation processes

Phenol, as a representative organic pollutant in aquatic environments, has posed a serious threat to humans and ecosystem. In this work, a novel integration system combined coal-based carbon membrane with sulfate radicals-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) was designed for degradation of phenol. The integrated system achieved 100% removal efficiency under the optimal condition (peroxydisulfate dosage is 0.2 g/L, at alkaline condition with 2 mL/min flow velocity). The quenching experiments revealed that the efficient removal of phenol by the integrated system were attributed to the co-existence of radical and nonradical mechanisms. This study proposes a green and efficient technique for the removal of phenol.

A kinetic study for the Fenton and photo-Fenton paracetamol degradation in an annular photoreactor

A kinetic model describing Fenton and photo-Fenton degradation of paracetamol (PCT) and consumption of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was proposed. A set of Fenton and photo-Fenton experiments (18 runs in total) was performed by fixing the initial concentration of PCT to 40 mg L^-1 and varying the initial concentrations of H₂O₂ and ferrous ion, Fe²⁺. The experimental set-up was a well-stirred annular photoreactor equipped with an actinic BL TL-DK 36 W/10 1SL lamp. Experimental results highlighted that PCT is no more detected by HPLC analysis within a minimum reaction time of 2.5 and a maximum reaction time of 15.0 min. Besides, a maximum conversion of total organic carbon (TOC) of 68.5% was observed after 75 min of reaction in case of using UV radiation and the highest concentrations of the Fenton reagents. The experimental data were used to fit the kinetic model. The radiation field inside the reactor was taken into account through the local volumetric rate of photon absorption, evaluated by assuming a line source model with spherical and isotropic emission. The kinetic parameters were estimated by using a non-linear least-squares regression procedure and root mean square errors (RMSE) were calculated in order to validate the feasibility of the proposed model. A good agreement between experimental and predicted data was observed and the lowest values of RMSE resulted in 5.84 and 9.59% for PCT and H₂O₂ normalized concentrations, respectively.

Degradation Characteristics of Color Index Direct Blue 15 Dye Using Iron-Carbon Micro-Electrolysis Coupled with H₂O₂

Currently, many industrial dyes are discharged into the environment in China, leading to serious water pollution. However, synthetic organic dyes in industrial effluents cannot be degraded by conventional wastewater treatment methods. Consequently, it is necessary to develop new environmentally friendly technologies to completely mineralize these non-biodegradable compounds. In this study, 300 mg/L typical Color Index (CI) Direct Blue 15 (benzidine disazo) in simulated dye wastewater was degraded by iron-carbon micro-electrolysis coupled with H₂O₂ to explore its decolorization, total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate, and degradation characteristics. Under the optimal degradation conditions (Fe/C = 2:1, pH = 3, 60-min reaction, 2 mL/L H₂O₂ (added in three aliquots), 300 mg/L dye), the TOC removal rate and the level of dye decolorization attained 40% and 98%, respectively. In addition, the degradation kinetics indicated that the iron-carbon micro-electrolysis process coupled with H₂O₂ followed first-order reaction kinetics. A degradation pathway for CI Direct Blue 15 was proposed based on the analysis results of treated wastewater obtained using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study provides an efficient and economical system for the degradation of non-biodegradable pollutants.

A Review of Environmental Occurrence, Fate, Exposure, and Toxicity of Benzothiazoles

Benzothiazole and its derivatives (BTs) are high production volume chemicals that have been used for several decades in a large number of industrial and consumer products, including vulcanization accelerators, corrosion inhibitors, fungicides, herbicides, algicides, and ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizers. Several benzothiazole derivatives are used commercially, and widespread use of these chemicals has led to ubiquitous occurrence in diverse environmental compartments. BTs have been reported to be dermal sensitizers, respiratory tract irritants, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and genotoxicants. This article reviews occurrence and fate of a select group of BTs in the environment, as well as human exposure and toxicity. BTs have frequently been found in various environmental matrices at concentrations ranging from sub-ng/L (surface water) to several tens of μg/g (indoor dust). The use of BTs in a number of consumer products, especially in rubber products, has resulted in widespread human exposure. BTs undergo chemical, biological, and photolytic degradation in the environment, creating several transformation products. Of these, 2-thiocyanomethylthio-benzothiazole (2-SCNMeS-BTH) has been shown to be the most toxic. Epidemiological studies have shown excess risks of cancers, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia, among rubber factory workers, particularly those exposed to 2-mercapto-benzothiazole (2-SH-BTH). Human exposure to BTs continues to be a concern.

p-Nitrophenol degradation by electro-Fenton process: Pathway, kinetic model and optimization using central composite design

The chemical process scale-up, from lab studies to industrial production, is challenging and requires deep knowledge of the kinetic model and the reactions that take place in the system. This knowledge is also useful in order to be employed for the reactor design and the determination of the optimal operational conditions. In this study, a model substituted phenol such as p-nitrophenol was degraded by electro-Fenton process and the reaction products yielded along the treatment were recorded. The kinetic model was developed using Matlab software and was based on main reactions that occurred until total mineralization which allowed predicting the degradation pathway under this advanced oxidation process. The predicted concentration profiles of p-nitrophenol, their intermediates and by-products in electro-Fenton process were validated with experimental assays and the results were consistent. Finally, based on the developed kinetic model the degradation process was optimized using central composite design taking as key parameters the ferrous ion concentration and current density.

Photo-Fenton degradation of non-ionic surfactant and its mixture with cationic or anionic surfactant

The oxidative degradation of non-ionic surfactants by the photo-Fenton process has been examined. The photo-Fenton degradation kinetics of mixtures of non-ionic surfactant and other type surfactants has been also investigated since mixtures of non-ionic and ionic surfactants are commonly used to utilize their synergistic effects in many practices. Effects of operating parameters such as dosages of Fenton reagents (iron and hydrogen peroxide) and UV light intensity on the degradation of commercial non-ionic surfactant Sannonic SS-90 (polyoxyethylene alkyl ether) were studied. Although the dosages of the Fenton reagents increased the degradation rate up to the optimum dosages, further addition of the reagents could not enhance the degradation rate. Excess dosages of Fe and H(2)O(2) caused excess OH radicals which could be a scavenger of OH radicals and as a result could not enhance the degradation of the surfactant. The increase in UV light intensity resulting in the faster photo-Fenton process or the enhancement of OH radical formation rate led to the increase in degradation rate of non-ionic surfactant. Although the existence of the anionic surfactant (sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate) would inhibit the degradation of the non-ionic surfactant due to the formation of complex with Fe ion, the existence of cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride) affected insignificantly the photo-Fenton degradation process of the non-ionic surfactant.

A mechanistic kinetic model for phenol degradation by the Fenton process

The objective of this paper is to develop and validate a mechanistic model for the degradation of phenol by the Fenton process. Experiments were performed in semi-batch operation, in which phenol, catechol and hydroquinone concentrations were measured. Using the methodology described in Pontes and Pinto [R.F.F. Pontes, J.M. Pinto, Analysis of integrated kinetic and flow models for anaerobic digesters, Chemical Engineering Journal 122 (1-2) (2006) 65-80], a stoichiometric model was first developed, with 53 reactions and 26 compounds, followed by the corresponding kinetic model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the most influential kinetic parameters of the model that were estimated with the obtained experimental results. The adjusted model was used to analyze the impact of the initial concentration and flow rate of reactants on the efficiency of the Fenton process to degrade phenol. Moreover, the model was applied to evaluate the treatment cost of wastewater contaminated with phenol in order to meet environmental standards.

Comparison of microbial and photochemical processes and their combination for degradation of 2-aminobenzothiazole

The transformation of 2-aminobenzothiazole (ABT) was studied under various conditions: (i) a photodegradation process at a lambda of >300 nm in the presence of an Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetic acid complex (FeNTA), (ii) a biodegradation process using Rhodococcus rhodochrous OBT18 cells, and (iii) the combined processes (FeNTA plus Rhodococcus rhodochrous in the presence or absence of light). The transformation of ABT in the combined system, with or without light, was much more efficient (99% degradation after 25 h) than in the separated systems (37% photodegradation and 26% biodegradation after 125 h). No direct photolysis of ABT was observed. The main result seen is the strong positive impact of FeNTA on the photodegradation, as expected, and on the biotransformation efficiency of ABT, which was more surprising. This positive impact of FeNTA on the microbial metabolism was dependent on the FeNTA concentration. The use of UV high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and in situ (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance provided evidence of the intermediary products and thus established transformation pathways of ABT in the different processes. These pathways were identical whether the degradation process was photo- or biotransformation. A new photoproduct was identified (4OH-ABT), corresponding to a hydroxylation reaction on position 4 of the aromatic ring of ABT.

Oxidative degradation of diethyl phthalate by photochemically-enhanced Fenton reaction

A kinetic investigation into the photo-degradation of aqueous diethyl phthalate by Fenton reagent was conducted in this study. The obtained results showed the enhancement of diethyl phthalate (DEP) decomposition by UV irradiation with the Fenton reaction. It was found that H2O2 concentration, Fe2+ concentration, and aqueous pH value were the three main factors that could significantly influence the degradation rates of DEP. The highest degradation percentage (75.8%) of DEP was observed within 120 min at pH 3 in the UV/H2O2/Fe2+ system, with original H2O2 and Fe2+ concentrations of 5.00 x 10(-4) and 1.67 x 10(-4)mol L(-1), respectively. The present study provides an effective approach to the treatment of wastewater containing DEP.

Degradation of estrone in aqueous solution by photo-Fenton system

Photodegradation of estrone (E1) in aqueous solutions by UV-VIS/Fe(III)/H2O2 system (photo-Fenton system) was preliminarily investigated under a 250-W metal halide lamp (lambda > or = 313 nm). The influences such as initial pH value, initial concentration of Fe(III), H2O2 and E1 on degradation efficiency of E1 were discussed in detail. The results indicated that E1 could be decomposed efficiently in UV-VIS/Fe(III)/H2O2 system. After 160-min irradiation, the photodegradation efficiency of 18.5 micromol L(-1) E1 reached 98.4% in the solution containing 20.8 micromol L(-1) Fe(III), and 1664 micromol L(-1) H2O2 at initial pH value 3.0. The degradation efficiencies of E1 were dependent on initial pH value, Fe (III) concentration and H2O2 concentration. The degradation of four estrogens estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and diethylstibestrol (DES) in UV-VIS/Fe(III)/H2O2 system were also conducted. Under the conditions of pH 3.0, the E1 apparent kinetics equation -dC(E1)/dt=0.00093[H2O2]0.47[Fe(III)]0.63[E1]0.24 (r=0.9935, n=11) was obtained. The E1 mineralization efficiency was lower than degradation efficiency under the same conditions, which implied the mineralization occurred probably only at aromatic ring. There are several intermediate products produced during the course of E1 degradation. The comparison of the degradation efficiencies of E1, E2, EE2 and DES degradation in UV-VIS/Fe(III)/H2O2 system were also conducted, and the relative degradability among different estrogens were followed the sequence: DES>E2>EE2>E1.

Removal of benzoic acid in aqueous solution by Fe(III) homogeneous photocatalysis

The behaviour of the system Fe(III)/Air/UV-benzoic acid is investigated in the pH range 2.0-5.5 and Fe(III) concentration up to 60 microM. The oxidation process develops through the establishment of an iron cycle in which HO radicals are produced by Fe(OH)2+ photolysis and the resulting Fe(II) photo-oxidized to Fe(III) by dissolved oxygen. A kinetic model is developed and used to simulate the behaviour of the system.