Solar photo-Fenton Process Research Articles

Exploring the role of hydrogen peroxide dosage strategies in the photo-Fenton process: Scaling from lab-scale to pilot plant solar reactor

This study aims to investigate the role of hydrogen peroxide (HP) continuous dosage in removing Paracetamol (PCT) from different water matrices using the solar photo-Fenton process. Different parameters in the HP dosage strategies (initial HP pulse, dosing time, and HP concentration) were systematically analysed to assess their impacts on pollutant removal (XPCT), oxidant specific consumption (YHP/PCTt), and toxicity levels (I(%)). The analysis involved various water matrices (ultrapure water UW, groundwater GW, anion matrix AW, and synthetic pharmaceutical wastewater IW0.01 or IW0.1), which were firstly treated in a laboratory reactor and subsequently scaled up to a solar prototype. After laboratory testing, the most effective reaction configuration (maximum XPCT and YHP/PCTt close to the stoichiometric one) was chosen as the starting point for scaling up the reaction system. Using the solar reactor setup, complete PCT conversion was achieved within just 60 min of reaction time (UW matrix). However, under IW0.1 condition and employing the same HP dosing strategy, a XPCT of 95.4 % was attained but at 180 min of reaction, highlighting the significant influence of the real matrix. Additionally, the I(%) remained high towards the end of the reaction (close to 60 %), attributed to the presence of hydroquinone in the system, demanding longer reaction times to completely reduce the toxicity when working with industrial wastewater. This comprehensive approach aims to close the gap between lab results and practical applications, offering crucial insights to address pharmaceutical wastewater pollution.

Epoxiconazole degradation in water samples: a comparative study of Fenton, photo-Fenton, solar photo-Fenton, and solar photolysis processes.

Epoxiconazole (EPO) is classified as a persistent organic pollutant due to its ability to persist in the environment for prolonged periods. Its degradation is pivotal in mitigating its environmental impact. This investigation focuses on assessing the degradation of EPO using various methodologies, namely Fenton, photo-Fenton, solar photo-Fenton, and solar photolysis, conducted in both Milli-Q water and groundwater. These experiments encompassed evaluations at both the standard pH typically used in photo-Fenton reactions and the natural pH levels inherent to the respective aqueous environments. Additionally, EPO degradation products were analyzed after a 60-min reaction. Notably, in systems utilizing groundwater, the inclusion of additional iron was unnecessary, as the naturally occurring iron content in the groundwater facilitated the intended processes. Specifically, in Milli-Q water, solar photo-Fenton demonstrated an EPO degradation efficiency of 97%. Furthermore, the substitution of Milli-Q water with groundwater in Fenton-like processes did not significantly affect the efficacy of EPO degradation. These findings underscore the potential of solar photo-Fenton as an economically viable and environmentally sustainable strategy for EPO degradation.

Improvement of the treatment of cork boiling wastewater by solar photo-Fenton process

The manufacturing process of cork generate a high volume of industrial wastewater which presents a significant organic pollution and low biodegradability. Solar photo-Fenton has been investigated for the remediation of these effluents with good reductions of organic load and demonstrating to be an efficient alternative and allowing the possibility to combine with other processes. This work proposes a treatment line for the improvement of this process based on an innovative solar prototype which optimizes the solar irradiation for improving the removal rate of pollutants. Additionally, efficient and green physicochemical technologies using decantation and NaHCO3 were put into practice and evaluated.After the solar photo-Fenton process, chemical oxygen demand and total phenolic compounds decreased by 48–91 % and 45–96 %, respectively, with a relatively short illumination time. With the subsequent physicochemical treatment performed after photo-Fenton process, the minimum thresholds of reductions increase by more than 25 % with respect to the application of only photo-Fenton treatment: increase of 48 %–75 % reduction for chemical oxygen demand and 45 %–75 % removal for total phenolic compounds. Therefore, costs savings were achieved by avoiding more sophisticated treatments.

Application of solar photo-Fenton process to treat Eriochrome Black-T in water and wastewater from water hardness determination

Application of solar photo-Fenton process to treat Eriochrome Black-T in water and wastewater from water hardness determination

Novel collector design and optimized photo-fenton model for sustainable industry textile wastewater treatment

Textile industry wastewater containing toxic dyes and high COD poses environmental hazards and requires treatment before discharge. This study addresses the challenge of treating complex textile wastewater using a novel integrated system. The system combines sedimentation, screening, adsorption, and an optimized solar photo-Fenton process to provide a sustainable treatment solution. A novel parabolic collector with a larger absorber tube diameter enhances solar radiation utilization at lower catalyst concentrations. This design is versatile, treating all types of wastewaters, especially those that contain colors, smells, solid and suspended materials, in addition to its importance for the treatment of difficult substances that may be present in industrial and sewage wastewaters that are difficult to dispose of by traditional treatment methods. Multivariate experiments optimized key photo-Fenton parameters (pH, catalyst dose, etc.) achieving significant pollutant removal (85% COD, 82% TOC, complete color) under specific conditions (pH 3, 0.2 g/L Fe(II), 1 mL/L H2O2, 40 °C and 100 L/h flow rate after 60 min irradiation). Kinetic modeling revealed second-order reaction kinetics, and multivariate regression analysis led to the development of models predicting treatment efficiency based on process factors. The key scientific contributions are the integrated system design combining conventional and advanced oxidation technologies, novel collector configuration for efficient utilization of solar radiation, comprehensive process optimization through multivariate experiments, kinetic modeling and predictive modeling relating process factors to pollutant degradation. This provides an economical green solution for textile wastewater treatment and reuse along with useful design guidelines. The treatment methodology and modeling approach make valuable additions for sustainable management of textile industry wastewater.

Microcontaminants degradation in tertiary effluent by modified solar photo-Fenton process at neutral pH using organic iron complexes: Influence of the peroxide source and matrix composition

Peroxymonosulfate (HSO5–) and persulfate (S2O82–), both sources of sulfate radicals (SO4*–), were evaluated for the first time in modified solar photo-Fenton using Fe-chelating agents (nitriloacetic acid (NTA), ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and citrate (Cit)) in comparison with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to degrade benzophenone-3 (BP-3), fipronil (FIP) and propylparaben (PPB) (100 µg L–1 each) in municipal tertiary effluent. Increasing HSO5– concentrations from 1.5 to 5.9 mmol L–1 reached ≥ 96 % removal for all iron complexes, while treatment efficiencies for all tested S2O82– concentrations (1.5–5.9 mmol L–1) were limited to 20 % to 55 %. This difference can be attributed to a pH decrease in the HSO5– system. The influence of pH and matrix composition upon treatment performance were also assessed in the FeNTA/S2O82– system, which was more efficient at pH < 7.0 due to higher availability of soluble iron, and partial removal of bicarbonate and humic acids caused by acidification. Matrix composition significantly influenced the process as higher degradation rates were achieved after isolated or combined removals of chloride, bicarbonate and sulfate. The comparison between naproxen (a high electron density compound) degradation and that of BP-3, FIP, and PPB by SO4*– - based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) was used to evaluate the influence of target compound structures upon treatment performance. S2O82− and HSO5– were ineffective for treatment at pH 7.0. Thus, H2O2 was the best peroxide source for target compounds degradation at neutral pH as this is the natural pH of municipal tertiary effluent and results indicated that the assessment and choice for SR-AOPs should consider the chemical structure of target compounds.

Textile wastewater treatment using solar photo-Fenton process

Textile wastewater treatment using solar photo-Fenton process

Urban wastewater disinfection by iron chelates mediated solar photo-Fenton: Effects on seven pathogens and antibiotic resistance transfer potential

The effects of solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process mediated by the iron chelate Fe3+ imminodisuccinic acid (Fe:IDS) on both the inactivation of seven relevant pathogens and the potential for antibiotic resistance transfer (degradation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and after treatment regrowth), in real secondary treated urban wastewater, were investigated for the first time. A comparison with results obtained by sunlight/H2O2 process and Fe3+ ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (Fe:EDDS) SPF was also carried out. ARGs were quantified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples before and after (3 h) the treatment. The persistence of the selected pathogens and ARGs was also evaluated in regrowth tests (72 h) under environmentally mimicking conditions. Fe:IDS SPF resulted to be more effective (from 1.4 log removal for Staphylococcus spp. to 4.3 log removal for Escherichia coli) than Fe:EDDS SPF (from 0.8 log removal for Pseudomonas aeruginosa to 2.0 log removal for Total coliphages) and sunlight/H2O2 (from 1.2 log removal for Clostridium perfringens to 3.3 log removal for E. coli) processes for the seven pathogens investigated. Potential pathogens regrowth was also severely affected, as no substantial regrowth was observed, both in presence and absence of catalase. A similar trend was observed for ARGs removal too (until 0.001 fold change expression for qnrS after 3 h). However, a poor effect and a slight increase in fold change was observed after treatment especially for gyrA, mefA and intl1. Overall, the effect of the investigated processes on ARGs was found to be ARG dependent. Noteworthy, coliphages can regrow after sunlight/H2O2 treatment unlike SPF processes, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance transfer by transduction mechanism. In conclusion, Fe:IDS SPF is an attractive solution for tertiary treatment of urban wastewater in small wastewater treatment plants as it can provide effective disinfection and a higher protection against antibiotic resistance transfer than the other investigated processes.

Effect of microplastics on urban wastewater disinfection and impact on effluent reuse: Sunlight/H2O2 vs solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH

The interference of three types of microplastics (MPs) on the inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (namely, sunlight/H2O2 and solar photo-Fenton (SPF) with Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS)), in real secondary treated urban wastewater was investigated for the first time. Inactivation by sunlight/H2O2 treatment decreased as MPs concentration and H2O2 dose were increased. Noteworthy, an opposite behaviour was observed for SPF process where inactivation increased as MPs concentration was increased. Biofilm formation and microbial attachment on surfaces of post-treated MPs were observed on polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) MPs by field emission scanning electron microscopy. In presence of PE MPs, a complete inactivation of E. Coli was achieved by SPF with EDDS (Fe:EDDS = 1:2) after 90 min treatment unlike of sunlight/H2O2 treatment (∼4.0 log reduction, 40 mg/L H2O2 dose, 90 min treatment). The lower efficiency of sunlight/H2O2 process could be attributed to the blocking/scattering effect of MPs on sunlight, which finally reduced the intracellular photo Fenton effect. A reduced E. coli regrowth was observed in presence of MPs. SPF (Fe:EDDS = 1:1) with PE MPs was less effective in controlling bacterial regrowth (∼120 CFU/100 mL) than sunlight/H2O2 (∼10 CFU/100 mL) after 48 h of post-treatment. These results provide useful information about possible interference of MPs on urban wastewater disinfection by solar driven AOPs and possible implications for effluent reuse.

Optimization of a combined system of vertical flow constructed wetland and solar photo-Fenton for ketoprofen removal in sewage and landfill leachate

Emerging contaminants in the environment are a matter of concern due to their widespread use and continuous disposal without proper treatment. Conventional treatments in sewage treatment plants (STPs) are not able to completely eliminate them, resulting in the presence of these compounds in several environmental matrices. Therefore, exploring and adding technologies to reduce or avoid the disposal of these compounds in the environment is necessary. This study aimed to use the solar photo-Fenton process combined with a partially saturated bottom vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) to remove ketoprofen (KET) from anaerobic effluent (sewage + landfill leachate) post-treated by a real-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The combined constructed wetland + solar photo-Fenton in pH 3.0 (CW + SPF3) and constructed wetland + solar photo-Fenton in pH 6.0 (CW + SPF6) systems showed high efficiency in degrading KET, achieving removal rates of 97% and 95%, respectively. The systems also showed efficiency in removing conventional parameters such as COD, BOD5,20, and turbidity. In addition to having a lower cost, only the combined CW + SPF6 system was able to eliminate toxicity for Artemia sp. and Lactuca sativa (TU < 0.4). The solar photo-Fenton process and constructed wetlands have proven to be compatible technologies. This combination resulted in an innovative and effective method for wastewater treatment systems containing emerging contaminants. The use of new technological arrangements for the treatment of sewage and effluents, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), which are nature-based solutions, and environmentally sustainable advanced solar oxidation processes, establish a NEXUS concept, promoting the circular economy.

Acetaminophen oxidation under solar light using Fe-BiOBr as a mild Photo-Fenton catalyst

Acetaminophen is an analgesic used as a first-choice treatment for pain and fever. When individuals consume acetaminophen, a portion of the drug is excreted through urine and can end up in wastewater. Water remediation from pharmaceuticals, such as acetaminophen, is required before reaching the environment. This work demonstrates that Fe–BiOBr using the solar photo-Fenton process eliminates acetaminophen at mild pH in aqueous media. Fe-BiOBr is produced using microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis, and the formation of the BiOBr phase is confirmed with XRD. SEM and TEM demonstrated the flower-like morphology, in which crystallite size reduces as a function of the Fe loading. The chemical environment at the surface of Fe–BiOBr is investigated with XPS. The results are connected with Raman analysis, which suggests the presence of oxygen vacancies in Fe–BiOBr. Furthermore, the effect of Fe in BiOBr is assessed by determining the optical band gap with UV–Vis. The Fe-BiOBr functionality is assessed during acetaminophen degradation. Fe-BiOBr revealed excellent performance in degrading acetaminophen in the first minutes (Q = 10 kJ m−2) under natural sunlight. Results reveal that 1% Fe content in BiOBr can degrade acetaminophen and its main byproduct (30 min, Q = 50 kJ m−2) at pH 5 and using 0.25 gL-1 of catalyst. A synergistic mechanism between heterogeneous photocatalysis and Fenton processes with primary superoxide (•O2–) radical, followed by hydroxyl (•OH) radical and photogenerated holes (h+), is proposed. Our research contributes to the degradation of pharmaceuticals under mild conditions and sunlight irradiation.

Solar photo-Fenton optimization at neutral pH for microcontaminant removal at pilot plant scale

The increasing occurrence of micropollutants in natural water bodies has medium to long-term effects on both aquatic life and human health. The aim of this study is to optimize the degradation of two pharmaceutical pollutants of emerging concern: amoxicillin and acetaminophen in aqueous solution at laboratory and pilot scale, by solar photo-Fenton process carried out at neutral pH using ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) as a complexing agent to maintain iron in solution. The initial concentration of each compound was set at 1 mg/L dissolved in a simulated effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP). A factorial experimental design and its surface response analysis were used to optimize the operating parameters to achieve the highest initial degradation rate of each target. The evolution of the degradation process was measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC/UV), obtaining elimination rates above 90% for both contaminants. Statistical study showed the optimum concentrations of Fe(III) at 3 mg/L at an Fe-EDDS ratio of 1:2 and 2.75 mg/L H2O2 for the almost complete removal of the target compounds by solar photo-Fenton process. Validation of the experimental design was successfully carried out with actual MWTP effluent spiked with 100 μg/L of amoxicillin and acetaminophen, each at pilot plant scale.

Doxycycline Removal by Solar Photo-Fenton on a Pilot-Scale Composite Parabolic Collector (CPC) Reactor

In this study, the solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process was investigated for the degradation of doxycycline (DOX) using a solar compound parabolic collector (CPC) reactor and a borosilicate serpentine tube with an irradiated volume of 1.8 L. The influence of the operating parameters, such as H2O2, Fe2+ dosage, and DOX concentration, was investigated. The optimum H2O2, Fe2+ dosage, and DOX concentration were found to be 4, 0.1, and 0.06 mM, respectively. The results of photo-Fenton experiments fitted the pseudo-first-order kinetic equation (R2 = 0.99). The efficiency of the treatment under optimized conditions was analyzed by an HPLC analysis of the samples, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC). The results obtained showed that the solar photo-Fenton process achieved a DOX degradation of 95.07%, a COD elimination of 81.43%, and a TOC elimination of 73.05%. The phytotoxicity tests revealed a 73.32% decrease in the germination index of watercress seeds, demonstrating that the SPF process minimizes the toxicity of the chemical and did not have any negative impact on plant growth. Overall, the results of this study suggest that SPF is a promising technology for the removal of doxycycline from wastewater.

Multivariate effect of inorganic wastewater matrix on the removal of pesticides by solar photo-Fenton

An amount of works has reported the effect of wastewater matrix composition on pollutants removal by different AOPs. The biggest challenge is that each wastewater source has a challenging composition (organic and inorganic compounds, pollutants, etc.) and not only the concentration of all these species but also the interaction between them may affect the effectiveness of the studied process. This work has been carried out to evaluate the photo-degradation kinetics of six different pesticides (flutriafol, imidacloprid, myclobutanil, pirimicarb, thiamethoxam and triadimenol) by solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process at acidic pH. First, oxidant concentration (H2O2) was optimized with an actual WWTP effluent. Then, the process was validated with two different secondary and tertiary WWTP effluents, in which main intermediate transformation by-products were identified. Finally, the effect of the inorganic water matrix components (bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, nitrate and phosphate) was evaluated by a multivariate analysis. Once H2O2 has been optimized at 30 mg L−1, the photo-degradation efficiency of pesticides in real wastewater samples was compared. DOC content of both secondary and tertiary WWTP effluents was dropped by 67%. The identification of the main intermediate transformation by-products (such as 1H-1,2,4-triazole, desmethyl-formamido pirimicarb, thiamethoxam urea, chloronicotinic acid and imidacloprid urea) was reviewed. Following, the multivariate analysis on pesticides photo-degradation, generally, predicted four significant effects in common for the studied pesticides: a positive effect (interaction bicarbonate/nitrate) and three negative ones (chloride, phosphate and the interaction chloride/sulphate); among others. In addition, optimum values of inorganic ion concentrations, to obtain an optimum desirability on studied pesticides removal by SPF at acidic pH, were also evaluated.

Valorization of Acid Mine Drainage into an Iron Catalyst to Initiate the Solar Photo-Fenton Treatment of Municipal Wastewater

Acid mine drainage was utilized to catalyze the solar photo-Fenton treatment of wastewater coming from a sludge dewatering system. Acid mine drainage in the form of iron-rich liquid or synthesized minerals (namely magnetite, hematite, and goethite) was added in the wastewater, which was treated by means of the solar photo-Fenton process. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of acid mine drainage, the wastewater matrix (i.e., synthetic and real wastewater), and the initial H2O2 concentration municipal wastewater’s organic content were explored. The results showed that using acid mine drainage (liquid phase) for wastewater treatment was more efficient than using the acid-mine-drainage-recovered minerals. Moreover, it was observed that the addition of acid mine drainage above 10.7 mL/L wastewater, which is equivalent to 50 mg/L iron, could substantially reduce the removal percentage of the chemical oxygen demand (COD). At the best conditions assayed, COD removal reached 99% after 90 min of photo-Fenton treatment under simulated solar light, in the presence of 30 mg/L Fe (i.e., 6.4 mL drainage/L of real wastewater) and 1000 mg/L H2O2 at a pH of 2.8. Therefore, the solar photo-Fenton treatment of municipal wastewater catalyzed by acid mine drainage may appear to be a promising method to effectively improve wastewater management, especially in areas with high solar energy potential.

Synergistic degradation of Chlorpyrifos by modified solar Photo-Fenton process with bacterial metabolism reduces in vivo biotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The extensive use of Chlorpyrifos (CP) as insecticide has raised concern to their hazardous impact on human health and ecosystems. Bioremediation has been proved as one of the key eco-compatible method for reducing these environmental toxicants. This study explores and evaluate the effectiveness of a combined process including solar Photo-Fenton process followed by bacterial degradation using Ochrobactrum sp. CPD-03 for effective CP degradation in wastewater. Moreover, the in vivo molecular biotoxicity of CP and degraded CP has been evaluated with embryonic zebrafish. The solar Photo-Fenton treatment showed CP degradation efficiency of ∼42 % in 4 h and ∼92 % in 96 h with combined bacterial degradation process. In vivo biotoxicity analysis showed increased survivability of embryonic zebrafish exposed to CP with CPD-03 in water with lesser morphological abnormalities. The mechanistic molecular analysis showed decreased acetylcholinesterase inhibition and GST activity in embryos exposed to CP with CPD-03 for a lesser apoptosis due to influential intrinsic interaction with metabolic proteins. The study advocated to the use of solar Photo-Fenton process followed by bacterial degradation for an efficient ecological degradation of CP for effective reduction of in vivo biotoxicity.

FentonSims®: A novel interactive simulation tool for computational kinetics of microcontaminant removal by the solar photo-Fenton process

This work presents, for the first time, a simulation app for the mechanistic understanding of the solar photo-Fenton process applied to the removal of microcontaminants contained in wastewater treatment plant secondary effluents. FentonSims® incorporates three mechanistic kinetic models previously developed for the process at acidic and neutral pH with different iron chelators (nitrilotriacetic acid and ethylenediamine-N,N’-disuccinic acid). The end-user can simulate the operation of perfect mixing raceway pond reactors in batch and continuous mode as a function of environmental (UVA radiation and water liquid temperature) and operating conditions (hydraulic residence time, liquid depth and reagent concentrations). Furthermore, this tool allows the assessment of different levels of water contamination, and estimations for reagent conversion, microcontaminant removal yield and water treatment capacity are shown in the graphical user interface. Simulations are conducted in an intuitive and easy-to-use app, so no programming skills are required, and all data are saved, allowing the user to analyse a wide range of operating scenarios. Therefore, FentonSims® is a valuable didactic tool for graduate students and water treatment professionals interested in the applicability of the solar photo-Fenton process and its phenomenological understanding.

Studies on treatment of saline water pollutants using solar photo Fenton process

In the current study, solar radiation was used to apply the photo Fenton reagent with and without Titanium dioxide (TiO2). Several characteristics were examined, and it demonstrates the efficiency of photocatalysis in the treatment of salt water contaminants by using batch process. One kilometer from the shore, Al Hail North Beach provided the seawater used in the study. The experiment was carried out at the College of Engineering campus, with samples taken every hour while the investigation was kept in the sunlight from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. At the Solar Water Lab, the parameters of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Carbons (TC), Inorganic Carbons (IC), pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Conductivity, and Salinity were examined in the samples. The key findings indicate that photo Fenton is suggested as a photocatalyst to decrease seawater pollutants.

Use of multi-criteria ranking method for environmental risk assessment of antineoplastic agents and their transformation products

Among the various classes of pharmaceuticals, antineoplastic agents require particular attention. This work investigates the degradation of the anticancer drugs anastrozole (ANZ) and methotrexate (MTX) by the solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process under different experimental conditions and in different aqueous matrices. Tentative identification of the treatment transformation products (TPs) was performed by suspect screening, employing a purpose-built database containing thirty-three TPs from ANZ and MTX. The experimental condition that achieves the most favorable degradation of ANZ and MTX in real hospital wastewater was pH 5 and multiples additions of Fe2+. This condition provided a reduction of ANZ and MTX of 30 % and 70 %, respectively. Eighteen MTX TPs and five ANZ TPs were tentatively identified in the analyzed samples. After tentative identification, quantitative structure-activity relationship ((Q)SAR) in silico methods were used to predict eight endpoints of environmental risk of the selected analytes. When different possible structures could be proposed, all the possibilities were considered, resulting in fifty-nine structures evaluated. TOPSIS multicriteria decision-making method was used to rank the compounds according to their environmental concern, based on (Q)SAR predictions. As main results, TOPSIS ranking showed that all ANZ TPs and most MTX TPs showed higher environmental risk potential than the parent compounds. The findings highlighted the importance of qualitative tentative identification of TPs and their monitoring throughout treatments, as well as risk assessment using various endpoints simultaneously. The proposed approach can provide objective and holistic evaluation of treatment processes.

Landfill leachate treatment by a combination of a multiple plant hybrid constructed wetland system with a solar photoFenton process in a raceway pond reactor

The sustainable and green treatment of landfill leachate (LL), produced by municipal solid waste, represents one of the most relevant challenges in the integrated waste management systems. Accordingly, in this work a green solution was investigated by coupling an innovative hybrid constructed wetland (HCW) to a solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process. A multiple layers HCW pilot plant including different medium substrates (sand, solid compost and carriers) and plant species (Phragmites australis, Arundo donax and A. plinii) was designed. The HCW was functionalised with compost tea solution to simultaneously provide high nutrient content for plants and increase the microorganism biodiversity. Process efficiency was investigated using different real LLs (young and mature) in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen compounds, chlorides and metals. Removals in the range 75–95% were observed for all the parameters after ten days of leachate recirculation in the pilot plant. Subsequently, the SPF process was carried out in a raceway pond reactor (RPR) as polishing step, significantly improving COD removal (further 49%). HCW combined with SPF in RPR would allow to meet the corresponding limits according to the final use/fate of the effluent by modulating the main parameters of the process.