Abstract
2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)-benzothiazole (TCMTB) is used as fungicide in the paper, tannery, paint, and coatings industries, and its study is important as it is considered toxic to aquatic life. In this study, a comparison of direct anodic oxidation (AO) using a boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) and electro-Fenton (EF) processes for TCMTB degradation in acidic chloride and sulfate media using a FM01-LC reactor was performed. The results of the electrolysis processes studied in the FM01-LC reactor showed a higher degradation of TCMTB with the anodic oxidation process than with the electro-Fenton process, reaching 81% degradation for the former process versus 47% degradation for the latter process. This difference was attributed to the decrease in H2O2 during the EF process, due to parallel oxidation of chlorides. The degradation rate and current efficiency increased as a function of volumetric flow rate, indicating that convection promotes anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton processes. The results showed that both AO and EF processes could be useful strategies for TCMTB toxicity reduction in wastewaters.
Highlights
The paper industry has been identified as a major source of pollutants to aquatic environments due to the large volume of wastewater generated per ton of paper produced
The results showed that both anodic oxidation (AO) and EF processes could be useful strategies for TCMTB toxicity reduction in wastewaters
Macroelectrolysis studies showed that anodic oxidation produces better percentages of degradation than the electroFenton process
Summary
The paper industry has been identified as a major source of pollutants to aquatic environments due to the large volume of wastewater generated per ton of paper produced. Studies on the treatments of wastewater from the paper industry have reported a content of at least 300 different compounds, including certain compounds of biocide nature [2], such as 2-(thiocyanomethylthio)-benzothiazole (TCMTB), which is often used as a biocide in the wood [3] and tannery industries [4]. Reemtsma et al [6] achieved an incomplete TCMTB degradation (75%) in an anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment pilot plant, yielding mercaptobenzothiazole (MTB), benzothiazole (BT), and hydroxybenzotriazole (OHBT) as the degradation products, which are harmful compounds that cause dermatitis [7], cell apoptosis [8], and respiratory tract irritation [9], respectively. De Wever et al [10, 11] carried out studies to investigate the biodegradation of these compounds and established that MTB is a recalcitrant compound.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
