Removal of tyrosol from water by adsorption on carbonaceous materials and electrochemical advanced oxidation...

This work compares the ability of physical and chemical treatments, namely adsorption and electrochemical advanced oxidation processes, to remove tyrosol from aqueous medium. Adsorption on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) performed much better than that with a graphite intercalation compound. Adsorption isotherms were found to follow the Freundlich model (R² = 0.96), which is characteristic of a chemisorption process. Successful electrochemical regeneration enables 5 successive adsorption/regeneration cycles before corrosion of GNPs occurs. Other typical aromatic contaminants that may coexist with tyrosol can be also adsorbed on GNPs. Percentage of regeneration efficiency of GNPs showed a higher affinity towards Lewis acids group compounds and a lower one towards Lewis base. The treatment of 100 mL of 0.723 mM tyrosol solutions in non-chlorinated and chlorinated matrices at pH 3.0 was carried out by electrochemical oxidation with electrogenerated H₂O₂ (EO-H₂O₂), electro-Fenton (EF) and UVA photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). Trials were made with a BDD anode and an air-diffusion cathode at 10-30 mA cm^-2. Hydroxyl radicals formed at the anode from water oxidation and/or in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between added Fe²⁺ and generated H₂O₂, along with active chlorine produced in chlorinated medium, were the main oxidants. Tyrosol concentration always decayed following a pseudo-first-order kinetics and its mineralization rose as EO-H₂O₂ < EF < PEF, more rapidly in the chlorinated matrix. The potent photolysis of intermediates under UVA radiation explained the almost total mineralization achieved by PEF in the latter medium. The effect of current density and tyrosol content on the performance of all processes was examined.