Abstract
Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world .Apart from being commonly used in beverages (soft drinks, tea and coffee), it is one of the components of painkillers, medication against migraine, fatigue, drowsiness and breathing problems, etc. Unlike other psychoactive substances, utilization of caffeine is legal in most countries. It is generally recognized as safe at usual moderate doses, though it becomes toxic in excessive amounts. Several clinical studies showed a relation between caffeine and anxiogenic effect and/or panic disorders. Its consumption is also associated with an overall lower risk of malignant growth like hepatocellular, endometrial or colorectal cancer. Still the effect of caffeine and its environmental degradation products on aquatic living species is not known. Therefore, as a preventive measure a development of an effective removal method is needed. Electrochemical oxidation method has many advantages such as low cost, simplicity, and amenability to miniaturization. Selective electrochemical oxidation for the caffeine in aqueous medium using RuO2/IrO2/TaO2 coated titanium anode has been investigated. The effect of the process variables, such as initial pH, current density, processing time, concentration of the electrolyte and anode materials, on the degradation of caffeine was studied. During the various stages of electrolysis, parameters such as COD, TOC and UV-Vis spectra were examined and discussed. The maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 96.9% and 100% was achieved at pH 7, operated at the current density of 5.1 mA/cm2, electrolyte (Na2SO4) concentration of 0.1 M and at 240 min of electrolysis using RuO2/IrO2/TaO2 coated titanium anode. Electrochemical oxidation process could effectively reduce the COD and TOC from the Caffeine in aqueous medium. The degradation of the caffeine was confirmed using FT-IR, HPLC and GC-MS analysis. The degradation pathway proposed.
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