Treatment of solutions containing nonylphenol ethoxylate by photoelectrooxidation

Antibiotics mineralization by electrochemical and UV-based hybrid processes: evaluation of the synergistic effect

Antibiotics are not efficiently removed in conventional wastewater treatments. In fact, different advanced oxidation process (AOPs), including ozone, peroxide, UV radiation, among others, are being investigated in the elimination of microcontaminants. Most of AOPs proved to be efficient on the degradation of antibiotics, but the mineralization is on the one hand not evaluated or on the other hand not high. At this work, the UV-based hybrid process, namely Photo-assisted electrochemical oxidation (PEO), was applied, aiming the mineralization of microcontaminants such as the antibiotics Amoxicillin (AMX), Norfloxacin (NOR) and Azithromycin (AZI). The influence of the individual contributions of electrochemical oxidation (EO) and the UV-base processes on the hybrid process (PEO) was analysed. Results showed that AMX and NOR presented higher mineralization rate under direct photolysis than AZI due to the high absorption of UV radiation. For the EO processes, a low mineralization was found for all antibiotics, what was associated to a mass-transport limitation related to the low concentration of contaminants (200 µg/L). Besides that, an increase in mineralization was found, when heterogeneous photocatalysis and EO are compared, due to the influence of UV radiation, which overcomes the mass-transport limitations. Although the UV-based processes control the reaction pathway that leads to mineralization, the best results to mineralize the antibiotics were achieved by PEO hybrid process. This can be explained by the synergistic effect of the processes that constitute them. A higher mineralization was achieved, which is an important and useful finding to avoid the discharge of microcontaminants in the environment.

The effect of the UV photon flux on the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of endocrine-disrupting alkylphenolic chemicals

The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 4-nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP4EO) using a low, moderate, or high UV photon flux in different treatment times was investigated. The byproducts were verified using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography with quadrupole mass analyzer (GC-qMS). The GC results showed that the use of a low (2.89 μmol m(-2)s(-1)) or a high (36.16 μmol m(-2)s(-1)) UV photon flux reaching the anode surface was associated to the production of alcohols and the toxic byproduct nonylphenol (NP), leading to the same degradation pathway. Meanwhile, the use of a moderate UV photon flux (14.19 μmol m(-2)s(-1)) reaching the anode surface did not produce alcohols or the NP toxic byproduct. This study demonstrates that different UV photon fluxes will have an influence in the degradation of NP4EO with or without generation of toxic byproducts. Furthermore, it is concluded that, after the determination of the UV photon flux able to degrade NP4EO without NP formation, the treatment time is essential in removal of NP4EO, since increasing the treatment time of 4 to 10 h, when using the PEC best conditions (moderate UV photon flux), implies in a higher treatment efficiency.

Gamma radiation/H2O2 treatment of a nonylphenol ethoxylates: Degradation, cytotoxicity, and mutagenicity evaluation

Gamma radiation/H2O2 treatment of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEO) was performed and treatment effect was evaluated on the basis of degradation, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), and toxicity reduction efficiencies. The radiolytic by-products were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Low mass carboxylic acids, aldehyde, ketone, and acetic acid were identified as the by-products of the NPEO degradation. NPEO sample irradiated to the absorbed dose of 15 kGy/4.58% H2O2 showed more than 90% degradation. Allium cepa (A. cepa), brine shrimp, heamolytic tests were used for cytotoxicity study, while mutagenicity was evaluated through Ames test (TA98 and TA100 strains) of treated and un-treated NPEO. The reductions in COD and TOC were greater than 70% and 50%, respectively. Gamma radiation/H2O2 treatment revealed a considerable reduction in cytotoxicity and mutagenicity. A. cepa, heamolytic and shrimp assays showed cytotoxicity reduction up to 68.65%, 77%, and 94%, respectively. The mutagenicity reduced up to 62%, 74%, and 79% (TA98) and 68%, 78%, and 82% (TA100), respectively of NPEO-6, NPEO-9, and NPEO-30 irradiated to the absorbed dose of 15 kGy/4.58% H2O2. NPEO-6 detoxified more efficiently versus NPEO-9 and NPEO-30 and results showed that Gamma radiation/H2O2 treatment has the potential to mineralize and detoxify NPEO.