Performance of the Electro-Oxidation and Electro-Fenton Processes with a BDD Anode for the Treatment of Low Contents of Pharmaceuticals in a Real Water Matrix

Authors

Sirs Ignasi
Antonio Garrido Jos
Brillas EnricFollow

Corresponding Author

Brillas Enric(brillas@ub.edu)

Abstract

Here, we report the performance of electro-oxidation and electro-Fenton with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode for the treatment of single and multicomponent solutions containing small amounts of pharmaceutical residues (i.e., 1 mg·L^-1 paracetamol and/or 1 mg·L^-1 salicylic acid) spiked into a real water matrix at pH 3.0. Electro-oxidation was performed in a BDD/Pt cell, whereas electro-Fenton was carried out in a BDD/air-diffusion cell to electrogenerate H₂O₂ at the cathode, always operating at constant current density. It was found that the decay of both pharmaceuticals by electro-oxidation was more rapid in the real water matrix than in ultrapure water with 0.05 mol·L^-1 Na₂SO₄ because of their additional reaction with active chlorine species produced at the bulk from the oxidation of Cl ion. Such chlorinated oxidants exhibited even higher reactivity than hydroxyl radicals formed and confined at the anode. The increase in current density largely enhanced the removal of both pollutants. Similar results were found using the real water matrix at natural alkaline pH. When the mixture of both pharmaceuticals was treated by electro-oxidation, their abatement became slower owing to the competitive attack of generated oxidants over them. Only a slight acceleration of pharmaceutical decay was obtained for the real water matrix using electro-Fenton, since the accumulation of additional homogeneous hydroxyl radical formed from Fenton’s reaction between generated H₂O₂ and added Fe²⁺ was inhibited by its reaction with Cl^- to form much less reactive chlorinated radicals. For the real water matrix with added pharmaceuticals, a high degree of mineralization of the natural organic matter content (NOM) was reached at high current densities by electro-oxidation, which was even improved upon addition of 0.05 mol·L^-1 Na₂SO₄. Traces of oxidation by-products like p-benzoquinone, as well as NO^3- and NH⁴⁺ ions, were detected during the electro-oxidation of paracetamol solutions, but the N-compounds contained in the real water matrix were not removed under the investigated conditions.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

boron-doped diamond anode, electro-oxidation, electro-Fenton, paracetamol, real water matrix, salicylic acid

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.61558/2993-074X.2963

Publication Date

2013-08-28

Online Available Date

2013-03-05

Revised Date

2013-02-28

Received Date

2012-12-25

Recommended Citation

Sirs Ignasi, Antonio Garrido Jos, Brillas Enric. Performance of the Electro-Oxidation and Electro-Fenton Processes with a BDD Anode for the Treatment of Low Contents of Pharmaceuticals in a Real Water Matrix[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2013 , 19(4): Article 15.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.2963
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol19/iss4/15

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