Review on the electrochemical oxidation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals using BDD anodes

Abstract

The application of synthetic diamond-based electrodes in water treatment has been shown to be promising, especially for boron-doped diamond (BDD). With a wide potential window and high overpotential for oxygen evolution among many more excellent qualities, BDD anodes surpass the capabilities of conventional electrodes. Currently, the synthesis and fabrication of low-cost BDD anodes are still in the primary stages of development. Electrochemical oxidation of EDCs on BDD anodes in water samples have been shown to be effective with very high removal efficiencies. The presence of this group of pollutants in wastewater effluents and various water matrices causes environmental concerns and requires an immediate solution due to their persistence and threat for both humas and wildlife. Extensive research on BDD continues to be carried out with various EDCs, such as parabens and pesticides, to determine the most suitable parameters, possible mechanisms of the degradation process, and its viability in large-scale applications. These efforts remain imperative as the presence of EDCs could severely affect human health and the surrounding environment. Although significant progress has been achieved, the advanced technology is unable to achieve feasible application in a large scale due to major hindrances. In this mini review, the focus was on the recent applications of electrochemical oxidation using BDD thin-film anodes (2019 to present) for the removal of a range of EDCs. The main factors that affect the performance of BDD anodes in the electrochemical oxidation of EDCs were discussed and evaluated, highlighting some ways to overcome the issues that prevent the technology from moving onto the next stage of development.