Paint effluent treatment through the fenton-type coagulation process with peracetic acid and iron ions

The inappropriate discharge of industrial effluents into water bodies causes significant damage to the environment. Proper treatment and disposal are crucial for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Advanced oxidative processes are effective alternatives for treating complex effluents, including those generated in the production of paints. The Fenton process is particularly notable among advanced oxidative processes because of its high ability to oxidize persistent contaminants using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent and ferrous ions as a catalyst. The purpose of this study was to optimize the Fenton process and substitute hydrogen peroxide with peracetic acid and ferrous ions with ferric together with a coagulation process known as the Fenton-type coagulation process for treating paint production effluents. To assess the turbidity removal efficiency, varying concentrations of peracetic acid and ferric chloride were tested. Significant results were obtained with a concentration of 200 mgL⁻¹ of ferric chloride and 15 mgL⁻¹ of peracetic acid when the reagents were added simultaneously, resulting in a removal of 98.4%. For the chemical oxygen demand parameters, the reduction reached 76.8%, total solids were reduced by 85%, color removal was 98.6%, total coliforms were reduced by 96.6%, and Escherichia coli reduction reached 96.4%, accompanied by an increase in the sedimentation speed.