Sulfamethazine degradation by sulfite through GAC@Ni/Fe Three-Dimensional (3D) particle electrode activation: Contribution of active substance and synergy

Abstract

The widespread production and use of antibiotics, which accumulate in the environment and lead to chronic poisoning of non-target organisms, causing potential safety risks to the environment and human health. In this study, GAC@Ni/Fe was used as particle electrode and sulfite hetero activator for synergistic degradation of Sulfamethazine(SMR) in a three-dimensional electrode reactor. Under the optimal experimental parameters (trough voltage = 5 V, sulfite addition =1 mM, particle electrode addition = 40 g, PH = 7), the removal rate of SMR can reach 96.91% within 30 min. The surface changes before and after the reaction at the GAC@Ni/Fe particle electrode was characterized using XRD, XPS, and FTIR. LSV, Tafel, and EIS were used to investigate the electrochemical performance of the GAC@Ni/Fe particle electrodes. The superiority of Three-Dimensional(3D) (GAC@Ni/Fe)/Sulfite system in SMR removal was confirmed by comparative experiments and reaction synergistic factor analysis. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching experimental studies demonstrate that the degradation of SMR within the 3D (GAC@Ni/Fe)/Sulfite system is the result of both free radical and non-free radicals, with·OH, SO4−·and 1O2 contributing 51%, 12% and 37% to SMR removal, respectively. The 54.57% TOC removal rate (30 min) also demonstrates the efficient mineralization of SMR by the system. The results show that the 3D (GAC@Ni / Fe) / Sulfite system can be used to treat the wastewater containing SMR and other antibiotics, which is a green and ecologically friendly method with potential application value.