photo-Fenton Oxidation Process Research Articles

Optimization of the Photo-Fenton process for the effective removal of chemical oxygen demand and phenols in portable toilet wastewater: A treatment study under real world conditions

Wastewater from portable toilets (WWPT) is characterized by a high content of organic matter and a variety of chemical compounds that retain bad odors, especially phenols, a type of pollutant that is difficult to degrade by conventional treatments; in addition, it is persistent, toxic, and accumulates in the aquatic environment. Although different successful experiences with the use of Photo-Fenton are reported in the scientific domain, its application in WWPT is scarce and warrants study due to the wide use of portable toilets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Photo-Fenton oxidation process in the removal of organic matter expressed as COD in a WWPT, as well as the reduction of phenols and BOD5. The experimental runs were carried out in a 0.50 L batch reactor to evaluate the effect of the factors (H2O2: 0.019, 25.56, 40.67, 87.24, 148.91, 174.45 g L−1 and pH: 2.80, 3.00, 3.27, 4.40, 5.53, 6.00 UNT) on COD removal and sludge production. It was found that the optimum operating conditions of pH 4.72 and H2O2 dosage of 174.45 g L−1 reduced the concentration of phenols by 97.83 % and 95.49 % of COD. In addition, 98.01 % of BOD5 was reduced, resulting in a biodegradability ratio (BOD5/COD) of 0.23 compared to the untreated wastewater of 0.53. From a cost perspective, the use of Photo-Fenton to treat wastewater under these conditions would be US$ 1.15 per liter.

Facile introduction of coordinative Fe into oxygen-enriched graphite carbon nitride for efficient photo-Fenton degradation of tetracycline

Tetracycline (TC) antibiotics have been widely used over the past decades, and their massive discharge led to serious water pollution. Photo-Fenton process has gained ever-increasing attention for its excellent oxidizing ability and friendly solar energy utilization ability in TC polluted water treatment. This work introduced coordinative Fe into oxygen-enriched graphite carbon nitride (OCN) to form FeOCN composites for efficient photo-Fenton process. Hemin was chosen as the source to provide the source of coordinative Fe-Nx groups. The degradation efficiency of TC reached 82.1 % within 40 min of irradiation, and remained 76.9 % after five runs of reaction. The degradation intermediates of TC were detected and the possible degradation pathways were gained. It was found that h+, OH, and O2− played major roles in TC degradation. Notably, the photo-Fenton performance of FeOCN was stable in highly saline water or strong acid/base environment (pH 3.0–9.0). Besides, H2O2 can be generated in-situ in this photo-Fenton process, which is favorable for practical application. It can be anticipated that the coordinative FeOCN composites will promote the application of photo-Fenton oxidation process in TC polluted water treatment.

Enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of contaminants in a wide pH range via synergistic interaction between 1T and 2H MoS2 and copolymer tea polyphenols/polypyrrole

In this study, we present the successful development of a unique photo-Fenton catalyst, 1T-2H MoS2@TP/PPy (MTP), achieved through the coating of a copolymer of tea polyphenol (TP) and polypyrrole (PPy) onto the surface of heterophase molybdenum disulfide (1T-2H MoS2). This innovative approach involves the integration of hydrothermal synthesis with copolymerization techniques. Our strategy utilizes nanoflower-like 1T-2H MoS2 as the foundational framework, which is then enveloped in TP and PPy copolymer. This innovative approach involves the integration of hydrothermal synthesis with copolymerization techniques. Our strategy utilizes nanoflower-like 1T-2H MoS2 as the foundational framework, which is then enveloped in TP and PPy copolymer. This distinctive architecture demonstrates exceptional catalytic performance owing to the hetero-phase entanglement of 1T-2H MoS2, which provides a diverse array of active sites. The coupled structure of TP and iron (TP-Fe2+/Fe3+) effectively overcome the limitation associated with the iron source. The incorporation of PPy not only reduces the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs but also enhances the stability of 1T-2H MoS2. Remarkably, our experiments on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) degradation demonstrate that TP-Fe2+/Fe3+ significantly expands the pH applicability range of the MTP composite catalyst. Additionally, we examine several factors, including different catalysts, H2O2 addition, variations in light intensity, solution pH, temperature fluctuations, and the role of active species, to comprehensively understand their impact on the photo-Fenton degradation process. In conclusion, MTP composite exhibits robust catalytic stability and demonstrates a broad pH utilization range in the photo-Fenton oxidation process, highlighting its promising potential for a wide range of applications.

Facile Prepared Fe3O4 Nanoparticles as a Nano-Catalyst on photo-Fenton process to remediation of methylene blue dye from water: Characterisation and Optimization

<p>In this research, a simple method for the preparation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4NPs) with an average size of 38.05 nm via co-precipitation was investigated. X-ray diffraction (DRX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize obtained Fe3O4 nanoparticles. These Fe3O4NPs were then used as nano-catalysts to degrade Methylene Blue (MB) in an aqueous solution via the Photo Fenton-like process. Also, under room solar light and low temperature, the photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4NPs for degrading MB was optimized through various experimental factors such as pH (ranging from 2 to 8), H2O2 concentration (from 10-2 to 5 × 10-1), catalyst amount (20 to 60 mg), and target organic compound concentrations (10 to 40 mg/L). The optimal experimental conditions were found to be a pH of 3, a dye concentration of 40 mg/L, and 40 mg of Fe3O4NPs as nano-catalyst. These conditions led to a high degree of removal (>86%) of MB dye from water. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was the suitable model to describe the degradation of MB dye with a coefficient value of 0.969. From this, it was concluded that Fe3O4NPs could act as an effective nano-catalyst for a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to eliminate organic pollutants in water and wastewater. Keywords: Fe3O4Nps, structural characterization, BM degradation, photo-Fenton Oxidation process, pseudo-first-order Model, Nanocatalyst.</p>

Synthesis of nanomagnetite/copper oxide/potassium carrageenan nanocomposite for the adsorption and Photo-Fenton degradation of Safranin-O: kinetic and thermodynamic studies

In the current study, a novel nanomaterial called nanomagnetite/copper oxide/potassium carrageenan nanocomposite (MKCO) was fabricated to include Fenton (nanomagnetite, NM) and Fenton-like reagent (copper oxide nanoparticles, NCO) in a matrix of potassium carrageenan biopolymer. The prepared solid materials were characterized by different physicochemical techniques, such as TGA, N2 adsorption/desorption, SEM, TEM, XRD, DRS, pHPZC, and FTIR. The prepared MKCO showed unique properties like higher specific surface area of 652.50 m2/g, pore radius of 1.19 nm, pHPZC equals 7.80, and the presence of different surface chemical functional groups. Under various application conditions, comparative experiments between Safranin-O dye (SO) adsorption and Photo-Fenton catalytic degradation were conducted. After 24 h, MKCO had a maximum adsorption capacity of 384.61 mg/g at 42 °C, while the Photo-Fenton oxidation process took only 10 min to totally decompose 93% of SO at 21 °C. Based on the higher values of correlation coefficients, Langmuir’s adsorption model is the best-fitted adsorption model for SO onto all the prepared solid materials. Studies on SO adsorption’s kinetics and thermodynamics show that it is physisorption and that it operates according to endothermic, spontaneous, and PFO model processes. While, PFO, endothermic, and non-spontaneous processes are satisfied by the catalytic decomposition of SO. After five application cycles, MKCO demonstrated good catalyst reusability with a 3.4% decrease in degrading efficiency. For lower contaminant concentrations and shorter application times, Photo-Fenton catalytic degradation of organic pollutants is more effective than adsorption.Graphical abstractFenton and Photo-Fenton degradation of Safranin-O

Optimization Approach to Evaluate the Solar, UV and LED Visible Light Fenton Processes for Pollutant Degradation in Landfill Leachate

<p>In the current study, three different photo-assisted sources were used to evaluate the photo-Fenton oxidation process for the pollutant degradation of mature landfill leachate. Solar, UV, and LED visible light photo sources were adopted in this Fenton process. Fenton dosages (FeSO4 : H2O2) 1:30, 1.5:30, 2:30, and 2.5:30g/L were used in the investigation, which was conducted under a variety of pH settings (2 to 3.5) and at experimental reaction duration of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. To analyze and compare the efficiency of the solar, UV, and LED visible light photo Fenton processes for pollutant degradation, Taguchi experimental design orthogonal arrays (L16) was employed. To analyse the significance of this experimental design for landfill leachate treatment, Larger the Better was selected. The highest levels of pollutant degradation in the Solar Photo Fenton method was identified when compared to UV, and LED visible light photo Fenton processes. The maximum removal of 95% color, 83% COD, 89% TSS, 94% Cr, 86% Cd, and 93% Cu was achieved in Solar Photo Fenton process at pH-3, Fenton dosage 1.5:30 g/L and reaction period 60 minutes.</p>

Adsorption and Photo-Fenton Degradation of Methylene Blue Using Nanomagnetite/Potassium Carrageenan Bio-Composite Beads

The present study deals with the preparation of nanomagnetite (NM), potassium carrageenan (KC), and nanomagnetite/potassium carrageenan bio-composite beads (NC). Characterization of the prepared solid materials using different physicochemical techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-disperse X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer (DRS), swelling ratio (SR%), N2 adsorption, pH of point of zero charges (pHPZC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Comparing between adsorption and photo-Fenton degradation process for methylene blue (MB) on the surface of the prepared solid materials. Nanomagnetite/potassium carrageenan bio-composite (NC) exhibited high specific surface area (406 m2/g), mesoporosity (pore radius, 3.64 nm), point of zero charge around pH6.0, and the occurrence of abundant oxygen-containing functional groups. Comparison between adsorption and photo-Fenton oxidation process for methylene blue (MB) was carried out under different application conditions. NC exhibited the maximum adsorption capacity with 374.50 mg/g at 40 °C after 24 h of shaking time while 96.9% of MB was completely degraded after 20 min of photo-Fenton process. Langmuir's adsorption model for MB onto the investigated solid materials is the best-fitted adsorption model based on the higher correlation coefficient values (0.9771–0.9999). Kinetic and thermodynamic measurements prove that adsorption follows PSO, endothermic, and spontaneous process, while photo-Fenton degradation of MB achieves PFO, nonspontaneous, and endothermic process. Photo-Fenton degradation is a fast and simple technique at a lower concentration of dye (< 40 mg/L) while at higher dye concentration, the adsorption process is preferred in the removal of that dye.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ion on the degradation of 2-Aminopyridine

Pharmaceutical compounds 2-Aminopyridine were detected in drinking water, surface water, and groundwater. 2-Aminopyridine is a colourless solid used for manufacturing drugs, sulphapyridine which is extremely poisonous and carcinogenic. Its appearance in drinking water needs prior treatment to dispose of safely. Fenton, Photo-Fenton oxidation processes were carried out to degrade 2-Aminopyridine. Parameters like pH, the dosage of Hydrogen peroxide, and Iron are optimized for the effective degradation of a 2-Aminopyridine compound in water. The effect of the initial concentration (10-80) mg/L of a 2-Aminopyridine pharmaceutical compound on degradation was studied. Drug at initial concentration of 10 mg/L, 40 mg/L and 80 mg/L is 100% degraded in 30 mins,45 mins and 120 mins respectively. Similarly, COD removals of 94.6%, 88.6% and 81% were detected at 10 mg/L, 40 mg/L and 80 mg/L of initial drug dosage. The degradation was enhanced by photo-Fenton oxidation. Both the drug degradation and COD reduction were improved by UV-C-assisted photo-Fenton oxidation processes.

Efficient ofloxacin degradation via photo-Fenton process over eco-friendly MIL-88A(Fe): Performance, degradation pathways, intermediate library establishment and toxicity evaluation

The high-throughput production of the eco-friendly MIL-88A(Fe) was achieved under mild reaction conditions with normal pressure and temperature. The as-prepared MIL-88A(Fe) exhibited efficient photo-Fenton catalytic ofloxacin (OFL) degradation upon visible light irradiation with good stability and reusability. The OFL (20.0 mg/L) was completely degraded within 50 min under visible light with the aid of MIL-88A(Fe) (0.25 g/L) and H2O2 (1.0 mL/L) in aqueous solution (pH = 7.0). The hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are the main active species during the photo-Fenton oxidation process. Meanwhile, the degradation intermediates and the corresponding degradation pathways were identified and proposed with the aid of both ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Finally, the degradation product library was firstly established to identify intermediate transformation products (TPs) with their variation of concentration, and their corresponding toxicologic activities were assessed via Toxtree and T.E.S.T software as well. Finally, the MIL-88A is efficient and stable with four cycles’ catalysis operations, demonstrating good potential for water treatment.

Comparison of kinetics and costs of Fenton and photo-Fenton processes used for the treatment of a textile industry wastewater

In this study, the treatment of textile industrial wastewater by Fenton and Photo-Fenton oxidation processes was investigated. For this purpose, the pH, Fe2+ and H2O2 concentrations with the best organic matter and color removal were determined in the Fenton process and comparison with Fenton was made by Photo-Fenton oxidation at the optimal Fe2+/H2O2 ratio. The influent COD and TOC values of the wastewater used in the study were 848 mg/L and 253 mg/L, respectively. With the Fenton process, the best organic matter and color removal was obtained at pH 3, at 200 mg/L Fe2+ and 300 mg/L H2O2 concentrations. Under these conditions, 88.9% COD, 84.2% TOC and over 97% color removal were obtained with Fenton oxidation, and 93.2% COD, 88.9% TOC and 98% color were obtained with Photo-Fenton oxidation. However, when Fe2+ and H2O2 amounts were reduced to 50 mg/L and 75 mg/L, both organic matter and color removal were reduced with Fenton process, while higher organic matter removal and color removal were achieved with Photo-Fenton process. The total cost was changed between 9.56-16.88 €/m3 and 13.46–20.13 €/m3 with Fenton and Photo-Fenton oxidation process for all Fe2+/H2O2 ratios, respectively. With the Photo-Fenton oxidation process, higher organic matter removal was obtained at optimum Fe2+ and H2O2 concentrations. In addition, less Fe2+ and H2O2 chemicals were used in Photo-Fenton oxidation process to achieve the same removal efficiency compared to the Fenton oxidation process.

Synergistic effect of flower-like MnFe2O4/MoS2 on photo-Fenton oxidation remediation of tetracycline polluted water

In this work, a flower-like MnFe2O4-MoS2 (FMW) catalyst was successfully prepared as a catalyst for photo-Fenton oxidation. The flower-like structured FMW possessed large open surface area, which exposed enough active sites and can fully contact with tetracycline (TC). We studied the effect of different FMW composites, H2O2 concentration and light intensity on the photo-Fenton process. 1FMW (MnFe2O4:MoS2 = 1:10 in mol) exhibited the best degradation effect on TC, and 1 mmol/L of H2O2 and 398.73 mW/cm2 of light were the optimum parameters. A p-n heterojunction was formed in 1FMW, ensuring the stability of composite and the fast electron transfer. Holes, •O2− and •OH were generated in photo-Fenton process and participated in TC degradation. Notably, FMW can be recycled quickly under an external magnetic field due to its magnetic properties. Overall, FMW shows good catalytic stability and recoverability in photo-Fenton oxidation process, which has a broad application prospect.

Hydroxide Sludge/Hydrochar-Fe Composite Catalysts for Photo-Fenton Degradation of Dyes

The photo-Fenton oxidation process was employed to degrade methylene blue (MB) using a hydroxide sludge/hydrochar-Fe composite as a catalyst prepared by physical activation of raw hydroxide sludge from a drinking water treatment plant and hydrochar-Fe prepared by hydrothermal carbonization from two-phase olive mill waste. The prepared composite was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, ICP, and FT-IR. The effect of major parameters, including pH, H2O2 concentration, and a dose of composite on the removal of MB has been studied. The results indicated that the MB decolorization rate increased with the increase of H2O2 concentration and catalyst addition; however, further increase in H2O2 concentration and catalyst dosage could not result in an increase of MB removal efficiency. A high degradation of 95% was achieved within 150 min under UV light irradiation at natural pH (pH = 5), a catalyst loading of 2.5 g/L, a H2O2 dosage of 14.68 mol/L, and MB concentration of 50 mg/L. Recycling studies show a MB decolorization of 92% after three cycles and the use of the composite for the degradation of another dye (methyl orange) shows a degradation of 99%, demonstrating that this composite is a promising heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for long-term removal of dyes from industrial wastewater.

Treatment of high explosive HMX (octahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine) production effluent by advanced oxidation processes

Manufacturing and handling of explosives for defence and civilian operations cause widespread environmental contamination. In this study, treatment of wastewater from a HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) production facility was evaluated by advanced oxidation processes, viz. photolysis (UV), photo-peroxidation (UV/H2O2) and photo-Fenton oxidation (UV/Fenton’s reagent). The wastewater sample was highly acidic and was contaminated with HMX, RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5- trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) and nitrated with heavy loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrate. During treatment, degradation rate of HMX and RDX and reduction in COD and nitrate levels were monitored. Maximum removal of RDX (99%) and HMX (98%) was achieved under both photo-peroxidation and photo-Fenton oxidation processes in an hour of UV irradiation. Reduction in COD (57.3%) and nitrate content (61.9%) was maximum with photo-Fenton’s treatment system, using Fenton’s reagent (H2O2/FeSO4) in 1:3 ratio. The photo-oxidation process followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Though the process was efficient in removing high explosives, it was moderate in removing COD and nitrate contents in wastewater.

Perylene diimides coated Fe-MOFs as acid-tolerant photo-Fenton catalyst for phenol removal

Fe-based metal–organic frameworks (MOF) are used in photo-Fenton oxidation processes, but they are easily decomposed in wastewater resulting to deactivation. For reducing Fe-MOF deactivation, herein, we reported an effective strategy, that is, coating the surface of Fe-MOF by re-crystallization PDI (perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide), and formed encapsulated Fe-MOF@PDI photo-catalyst. The performance of the catalyst is correlated with the amount of the PDIlayer for forming heterojunction of PDI/Fe-MOF in catalysts. As the load amount of PDI increasing from 3% to 6% and 9%, the Fe-MOF@6%PDI exhibits the better activity for phenol removal in 30 min. Moreover, constructed Fe-MOF@PDI photo-catalysts show acid resistance increased because PDI covered is with stable H-type π-π stacking in acidic conditions, and protects the inside Fe-MOF from decomposing. A range of Fe-MOFs are encapsulated in re-crystallization PDI, and the photo-Fenton activity and stability of the Fe-MOFs is enhanced since heterojunction structure formed. This work provides a facile and simple strategy toward the preparation of acid-stable MOF-based composites for the application in acidic wastewater remediation.

Photo-Fenton process for removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from hazardous waste landfill leachate

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the toxic and persistent micro-pollutants recalcitrant to biodegradation. Photo-Fenton process is a commonly adopted advanced oxidation process. Advanced oxidation processes generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH·) which completely mineralise the organic contaminants. This study aims to find the efficiency of photo-Fenton oxidation process in the removal of PAHs and COD from landfill leachate, and investigate its effect on 16 PAHs according to their number of aromatic rings. Experiments were designed using central composite design, a module of response surface methodology (RSM) in the Design-Expert software. pH, Fe2+ concentration, H2O2 concentration, reaction time and UV intensity were the five experimental variables which were optimised and modeled successfully. The statistical analysis proved that all the variables have significant effect on the model. The value of R2 (0.94) showed a high reliability in the estimation of chemical oxygen demand and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal efficiency. Optimum experimental conditions of pH 6.5, Fe2+ 1.1 g/L, H2O2 concentration 5.5 g/L, reaction time 40 min and UV intensity 13.5 W resulted in the maximum chemical oxygen demand and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal efficiency of 84.43% and 92.54%, respectively. Validation was carried out by conducting additional set of experiments, and the small gap between observed and predicted values confirmed that central composite design is the effective tool to optimise the photo-Fenton oxidation process in the degradation of chemical oxygen demand and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Kinetic Study of Degradation of Basic Turquise Blue X-GB and Basic Blue X-GRRL using Advanced Oxidation Process

Abstract This study focuses on application of advanced oxidation (Photo-Fenton) processes to decolorize Basic Turquise Blue (BTB) X-GB 250% and Basic Blue (BB) X-GRRL 250% dyes. The percent decolorization was studied in terms of effect of variation in intensity of UV light at optimum conditions of all the parameters (pH = 3.0, H2O2 = 4.8 mM, FeSO4 = 1.6 mM, temperature = 50 °C, time = 80 min for BTB X-GB, and pH = 5.0, H2O2 = 5.6 mM, FeSO4 = 2.0 mM, temperature = 40 °C, time = 60 min for BB X-GRRL). Maximum decolorization was obtained at maximum intensity (15660 counts/min) of UV light as 96.17% for BTB X-GB and 88.48% for BB X-GRRL. First order, 2nd order and BMG kinetic models were used to analyze the data obtained for intensity of UV light. BMG model gives us the higher values of correlation coefficients for all data of both the dyes. The results have shown that Photo-Fenton oxidation process is the beneficial and effective for oxidation treatment of waste water effluents containing dyes as main pollutants.

Highly efficient removal of surfactant from industrial effluents using flaxseed mucilage in coagulation/photo-Fenton oxidation process

In this study, flaxseed mucilage (FSM) has been used as a green coagulant in the pretreatment stage of a combined process for the removal of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In the post-treatment stage, heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like oxidation using MnFe2O4 nanocatalyst was applied to remove the remained SDS. Using response surface methodological approach, optimum condition in the coagulation process was obtained at pH 7.0, FSM dose of 100 mg L−1 and 30 min. In the photo-Fenton oxidation process, complete SDS removal was achieved using 76 mg of the nanocatalyst, 1.07 mL of H2O2 at 17 min. Application of the combined process on the real wastewater samples indicates that the proposed method can be used effectively for the treatment of industrial effluents containing surfactants.

Treatment train for mature landfill leachates: Optimization studies

In the current study, a treatment train strategy for urban mature leachates, comprising biological and physicochemical processes, was tested for full legal compliance. The leachate presents a high organic and nitrogen content (1.1g C/L; 3.6g O2/L; 2.0gN/L) and low biodegradability (BOD5/COD=0.05). In the first stage, a sequential batch reactor (SBR), operated in a 24h-cycle mode (15h aeration +8.5h anoxic, with methanol as external carbon source +0.5h settling), was tested for total nitrogen (TN) removal. The maximum daily TN load that could be treated, reaching the legal limit (< 15mgN/L), increased by 50% with the rise in temperature from 20 to 30°C. For the following coagulation stage, the highest dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal (64%) and lower final turbidity (33 NTU) were obtained with 240mg Fe3+/L, at pH3.0. The jar-tests, comparing nitrified (LNIT.) and nitrified/denitrified (LN/D.) leachate, stressed the effect of the leachate alkalinity, generated during the denitrification reaction, on process efficiency. For the coagulated LN/D., with alkalinity of 1.1g CaCO3/L, the final concentration of sulfate was only slightly below the legal limit (< 2g/L). A photo-Fenton (PF) oxidation process (pH range of 2.8–3.0, 60mg Fe2+/L), as third treatment step, promoted a significant enhancement on leachate biodegradability, consuming 75mM of H2O2 and 8.9 kJ/L of accumulated UV energy, to achieve an effluent that can be further biologically treated in compliance with the COD discharge limit (150mg O2/L) into water bodies. Biological continuous mode tests using a conventional activated sludge process, with an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12h, allowed to obtain COD and TSS values (107±3 and 50±2mg/L, respectively) below the legal limit.

Application of response surface methodology for the optimization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation from potable water using photo-Fenton oxidation process

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds, composed of benzene rings. The objective of this research was to identify the optimum condition for the degradation of PAHs contaminated water using photo-Fenton oxidation process via response surface methodology (RSM). Aqueous solution was prepared and potable water samples were collected from water treatment plants in Perak Tengah, Perak, Malaysia in September 2016. The reaction time, pH, molarity of H2O2 and FeSO4 were analyzed followed by RSM using aqueous solution. A five level central composite design with quadratic model was used to evaluate the effects and interactions of these parameters. The response variable was the percentage of total organic carbon (TOC) removal. PAHs quantification was done using gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. The regression line fitted well with the data with R2 value of 0.9757. The lack of fit test gives the highest value of Sum of Squares (15,666.64) with probability F value 0.0001 showing significant quadratic model. The optimum conditions were established corresponding to the percentage of TOC removal. The PAHs removal efficiency for potable water samples ranged from 76.4% to 91% following the first order of kinetic rates with R2 values of >0.95. Conventional water treatment techniques are not effective for PAHs removal. Thus, advanced oxidation processes may be considered as an alternative to conventional water treatment techniques in Malaysia and other developing countries.

Step by step procedures: Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in potable water using photo-Fenton oxidation process

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds, composed of two or more fused benzene rings and abundantly found in mixed-use areas. Mixed-use areas consist of dense population, urbanization, industrial and agricultural activities. River pollution are common in mixed-use areas and 98% of Malaysia's fresh water supply originates from surface water. The biological degradation, adsorption and advanced oxidation process were documented as the available PAHs treatment for water. To date, the application of the photo-Fenton oxidation process has been reported for the treatment of PAHs from contaminated soil (review paper), landfill leachate, municipal solid waste leachate, sanitary landfill leachate, aniline wastewater, ammunition wastewater and saline aqueous solutions. As for potable water, the application of Fenton reagent was aided with photo treatment or electrolysis not focusing on PAHs removal.•The presented MethodsX was conducted for PAHs degradation analysis in potable water samples using photo-Fenton oxidation process.•The designed reactor for batch experiment is presented.•The batch experiment consists of parameters like concentration of 17 USEPA-PAHs in the prepared aqueous solution (fixed variable), reaction time, pH and molarity ratio of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): ferrous sulfate (FeSO4).