Removal of a mix of benzophenones and parabens using solar photo-Fenton and a cylinder parabolic collector in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Benzophenones and parabens have been cataloged as emerging pollutants due to their potential activity as endocrine disrupting chemicals, and its evidenced presence in different bodies of water. In this sense, this paper presents the results about the use of the solar photo-Fenton technology at pilot scale using a cylinder-parabolic collector, in the removal of three benzophenones and two parabens in aqueous solutions, assessing the effects of the initial concentrations of ferrous ions and hydrogen peroxide. The response surface methodology was employed to determine, under the evaluated experimental range, the conditions that promote a higher removal of each pollutant individually, and the elimination of the dissolved organic carbon present in a mix of the target substrates. In general, results indicate that evaluated factors affect significantly the treatment performance, and that this kind of technologies could be a potential alternative for the treatment of wastewater containing organic pollutants.