Wet hydrogen peroxide catalytic oxidation (WHPCO) of organic waste in agro-food and industrial streams

Abstract

This review discusses the use of iron- or copper-based solid catalysts in the wet oxidation using H2O2 as oxidant of organic molecules present in agro-food and industrial waste aqueous streams. After an introduction on the advantages and limits of using wet hydrogen peroxide catalytic oxidation (WHPCO) as opposite to wet air catalytic oxidation (WACO), the contribution shortly analyses recent results in the field in order to evidence new trends and open issues. More specific examples discussed regard the performances of Fe/zeolite and Fe-containing pillared clays in the oxidation of selected molecules (p-coumaric acid, propionic acid) of relevance for the treatment of organic waste from agro-food production (with reference especially to olive oil milling wastewater). The application of WHPCO in the treatment of complex effluents from electronic industry is also shortly discussed.