Abstract
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.
Highlights
In the last decades, a notable effort has been made to investigate the main aspects of the Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)
AOPs are a group of chemical processes all characterised by the capability of exploiting the high reactivity of hydroxyl radical (HO∙)radicals in driving oxidation reactions that are suitable for achieving pollutant remediation and mineralization (Andreozzi et al 1999)
CECs are a group of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which are increasingly being detected at low concentrations in surface water, ground waters and even drinking waters, and that may be included in future environmental regulations depending on the results of the investigations on their effects on the human health and environment (EPA)
Summary
A notable effort has been made to investigate the main aspects of the Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). CECs are a group of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which are increasingly being detected at low concentrations (ng L-1 to μg L-1) in surface water, ground waters and even drinking waters, and that may be included in future environmental regulations depending on the results of the investigations on their effects on the human health and environment (EPA). This shows that conventional sewage treatment plants are not able to remove this kind of contaminants. As a matter of fact, the review by Wang et al (2016) highlighted several industrial applications of the photo-Fenton process that has been used to treat different kinds of wastewaters such as olive-oil mill, textile, pesticide, cosmetic, dye, fermentation brine, green olives, pharmaceutical, cork cooking, pulp mill and phenolic wastewaters
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