Paracetamol Removal from Aqueous Media Through Fenton Reaction Using ZSM-5 Zeolite Produced from Fly Ash

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a common pharmaceutical pollutant in wastewater.
• Heterogeneous Fenton reactions offer a promising method for degrading organic pollutants.
• Developing efficient and sustainable catalysts is crucial for environmental remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize ZSM-5 zeolite from iron-rich fly ash.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance of fly ash-derived ZSM-5 in paracetamol removal via heterogeneous Fenton reaction.
• To compare its efficiency with commercial iron-loaded ZSM-5.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite from fly ash.
• Characterization using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms.
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for surface analysis.
• UV-spectroscopy for monitoring paracetamol degradation kinetics.
• Application of kinetic models (pseudo-first-order).

Main Results:

• Pure ZSM-5 phase synthesized from fly ash, albeit with lower crystallinity and textural parameters than commercial ZSM-5.
• XPS analysis confirmed the presence of iron and yttrium, enhancing surface electronic properties.
• Fly ash-based zeolites demonstrated superior paracetamol removal efficiency compared to commercial iron-loaded ZSM-5.
• Catalyst performance decreased over regeneration-reuse cycles due to iron leaching.

Conclusions:

• Fly ash-derived ZSM-5 is a viable and effective catalyst for paracetamol removal.
• The disordered structure and presence of yttrium contribute to enhanced catalytic activity.
• Further research is needed to address catalyst stability and leaching for practical applications.