Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using UV-enhanced electro-Fenton process: Comparative study
Rezvan Behfar1, Reza Davarnejad1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
Summary
This study optimized electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) processes for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. PEF, enhanced by UVA light, achieved higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal than EF.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Advanced Oxidation Processes
Background:
- Pharmaceutical wastewater (PhW) poses significant environmental challenges due to its complex composition and recalcitrant pollutants.
- Conventional treatment methods are often insufficient for effectively removing contaminants from PhW.
- Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), such as electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF), offer promising solutions for degrading persistent organic pollutants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and optimize the electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) processes for treating pharmaceutical wastewater (PhW).
- To determine the optimal operating conditions for maximizing chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency.
- To evaluate the impact of UVA light addition in the PEF process compared to the EF process.
Main Methods:
- Experimental design using Design Expert software coupled with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to identify optimal parameters.
- Systematic investigation of parameters including pH, current density, H2O2/Fe2+ molar ratio, H2O2/PhW volume ratio, UVA light, and reaction time.
- Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to ascertain the significance of each parameter on COD removal.
Main Results:
- Optimal EF conditions achieved 86.85% COD removal with specific parameters (pH 2.96, 42.90 mA/cm², 3.78 ratio, 1.37 ml/L, 58.49 min).
- Optimal PEF conditions achieved 93.00% COD removal with specific parameters (pH 2.91, 43.71 mA/cm², 4.29 ratio, 1.67 ml/L, 6W UVA, 54.24 min).
- Time and current density were identified as the most significant parameters influencing COD removal in both processes.
Conclusions:
- The PEF process, enhanced by UVA light, demonstrated superior COD removal efficiency compared to the EF process.
- UVA light addition in the PEF process resulted in an approximate 7% increase in COD removal under optimal conditions.
- Optimized EF and PEF processes provide effective treatment strategies for pharmaceutical wastewater, with PEF offering enhanced performance.
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