Development of Innovative Electrochemical Advanced Degradation Processes for the Effective and Cost-Accessible Treatment of Different Organic Compounds in Water and the Recycling of Treated Water
摘要
Industry’s performance plays a significant role in a country’s economy; however, it often causes significant environmental pollution problems. Some of the most critical industrial pollutants are those from the textile, paper and cellulose, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, among others, which generate large volumes of effluents of a mainly refractory nature. This type of wastewater contains recalcitrant compounds, which, due to their chemically stable structure, resist degradation by conventional biological or chemical treatment plants. These typically include various drugs and their metabolites, as well as organic molecules such as phenols, anilines, or derivatives, including dyes. Recently, treatment techniques utilizing advanced electrochemical degradation processes (EADPs) have attracted considerable attention for efficiently treating this type of organic compound. These processes are developed from the production of strongly reactive oxidants, mainly hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which can be generated in situ and attack organic contaminants at high reaction rates, resulting in the total mineralization of organic, inorganic substances and non-biologically degradable compounds. This detailed and integrative chapter provides an overview of the recent developments in electrochemical oxidation (EO), electro-Fenton (EF), photoelectro-Fenton (PEF), and coupled processes, which offer an efficient and cost-effective treatment for industrial water remediation. It is emphasized in the reduction of organic pollutants, evaluated through total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), and HPLC analysis.