The profound review of Fenton process: What's the next step?

Fenton and Fenton-like processes, which could produce highly reactive species to degrade organic contaminants, have been widely used in the field of wastewater treatment. Therein, the chemistry of Fenton process including the nature of active oxidants, the complicated reactions involved, and the behind reason for its strongly pH-dependent performance, is the basis for the application of Fenton and Fenton-like processes in wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, the conflicting views still exist about the mechanism of the Fenton process. For instance, reaching a unanimous consensus on the nature of active oxidants (hydroxyl radical or tetravalent iron) in this process remains challenging. This review comprehensively examined the mechanism of the Fenton process including the debate on the nature of active oxidants, reactions involved in the Fenton process, and the behind reason for the pH-dependent degradation of contaminants in the Fenton process. Then, we summarized several strategies that promote the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle, reduce the competitive consumption of active oxidants by side reactions, and replace the Fenton reagent, thus improving the performance of the Fenton process. Furthermore, advances for the future were proposed including the demand for the high-accuracy identification of active oxidants and taking advantages of the characteristic of target contaminants during the degradation of contaminants by the Fenton process.

Free Radical Lipid Peroxidation Induced by Reactive Halogen Species

The review is devoted to the mechanisms of free radical lipid peroxidation (LPO) initiated by reactive halogen species (RHS) produced in mammals, including humans, by heme peroxidase enzymes, primarily myeloperoxidase (MPO). It has been shown that RHS can participate in LPO both in the initiation and branching steps of the LPO chain reactions. The initiation step of RHS-induced LPO mainly involves formation of free radicals in the reactions of RHS with nitrite and/or with amino groups of phosphatidylethanolamine or Lys. The branching step of the oxidative chain is the reaction of RHS with lipid hydroperoxides, in which peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals are formed. The role of RHS-induced LPO in the development of human inflammatory diseases (cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis) is discussed in detail.

Thermal oxidation of degradation products from thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohol: Determination on oxidation temperature and residence time

The degradable protective articles made of thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohol (TPVA) are widely used in nuclear power plants, and they are thermally decomposed after use to reduce solid waste. However, in the real decomposition of TPVA, the temperature in the oxidation reactor is not self-sustaining; as a result, the degradation products contain a lot of CO, resulting in more pollution and energy waste. In this paper, jet stirred reactor (JSR) and Chemkin software were used to study the reaction kinetics characteristics of the oxidation process of degradation products from TPVA in the range of 550 °C-700 °C. Both experiments and kinetic simulation show that a higher average temperature of the oxidation reactor is needed to achieve lower CO emissions. When using 5% or 10% TPVA degradation solution, the average temperature should not befall below 625 °C or 675 °C. The corresponding residence time should be greater than 6 s and 5 s respectively. The combination of research findings and engineering practice provides great help to the optimization of the actual work process.

The ferryl generation by fenton reaction driven by catechol

The Fenton and Fenton-like reactions are based on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Fe(II), primarily producing highly oxidizing hydroxyl radicals (HO∙). While HO∙ is the main oxidizing species in these reactions, Fe(IV) (FeO2+) generation has been reported as one of the primary oxidants. FeO2+ has a longer lifetime than HO∙ and can remove two electrons from a substrate, making it a critical oxidant that may be more efficient than HO∙. It is widely accepted that the preferential generation of HO∙ or FeO2+ in the Fenton reaction depends on factors such as pH and Fe: H2O2 ratio. Reaction mechanisms have been proposed to generate FeO2+, which mainly depend on the radicals generated in the coordination sphere and the HO∙ radicals that diffuse out of the coordination sphere and react with Fe(III). As a result, some mechanisms are dependent on prior HO∙ radical production. Catechol-type ligands can induce and amplify the Fenton reaction by increasing the generation of oxidizing species. Previous studies have focused on the generation of HO∙ radicals in these systems, whereas this study investigates the generation of FeO2+ (using xylidine as a selective substrate). The findings revealed that FeO2+ production is increased compared to the classical Fenton reaction and that FeO2+ generation is mainly due to the reactivity of Fe(III) with HO∙ from outside the coordination sphere. It is proposed that the inhibition of FeO2+ generation via HO∙ generated from inside the coordination sphere is caused by the preferential reaction of HO∙ with semiquinone in the coordination sphere, favoring the formation of quinone and Fe(III) and inhibiting the generation of FeO2+ through this pathway.

The principle of detailed balancing, the iron-catalyzed disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide, and the Fenton reaction

The iron-catalyzed disproportionation of H₂O₂ has been investigated for over a century, as has been its ability to induce the oxidation of other species present in the system (Fenton reaction). The mechanisms of these reactions have been under consideration at least since 1932. Unfortunately, little or no attention has been paid to ensuring the conformity of the proposed mechanisms and rate constants with the constraints of the principle of detailed balancing. Here we identify more than 200 publications having mechanisms that violate the principle of detailed balancing. These violations occur through the use of incorrect values for certain rate constants, the use of incorrect forms of the rate laws for certain steps in the mechanisms, and the inclusion of illegal loops. A core mechanism for the iron-catalyzed decomposition of H₂O₂ is proposed that is consistent with the principle of detailed balancing and includes both the one-electron oxidation of H₂O₂ by Fe(III) and the Fe(II) reduction of HO₂˙.

Stoichiometric Control Synthesis of Pyrite and Greigite Particles Used for Photo-Fenton Degradation Catalysis

Two types of iron sulfide, i.e., highly crystalline pyrite (FeS2) and greigite (Fe3S4) were synthesized via hot-injection method only by changing the precursor ratios of iron to sulfur (Fe:S) from...

Oxidative distress in aging and age-related diseases: Spatiotemporal dysregulation of protein oxidation and degradation

The concept of oxidative distress had arisen from the assessment of cellular response to high concentrations of reactive species that result from an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants and cause biomolecular damage. The intracellular distribution and flux of reactive species dramatically change in time and space contributing to the remodeling of the redox landscape and sensitivity of protein residues to oxidants. Here, we hypothesize that compromised spatiotemporal control of generation, conversions, and removal of reactive species underlies protein damage and dysfunction of protein degradation machineries. This leads to the accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins resulted in an age-dependent decline in the organismal adaptability to oxidative stress. We highlight recent data obtained with the use of various cell cultures, animal models, and patients on irreversible and non-repairable oxidation of key redox-sensitive residues. Multiple reaction products include peptidyl hydroperoxides, alcohols, carbonyls, and carbamoyl moieties as well as Tyr-Tyr, Trp-Tyr, Trp-Trp, Tyr-Cys, His-Lys, His-Arg, and Tyr-Lys cross-links. These lead to protein fragmentation, misfolding, covalent cross-linking, oligomerization, aggregation, and ultimately, causing impaired protein function and turnover. 20S proteasome and autophagy-lysosome pathways are two major types of machinery for the degradation and elimination of oxidatively damaged proteins. Spatiotemporal dysregulation of these pathways under oxidative distress conditions is implicated in aging and age-related disorders such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Future investigations in this field allow the discovery of new drugs to target components of dysregulated cell signaling and protein degradation machinery to combat aging and age-related chronic diseases.

Cost comparison of advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment using accumulated oxygen-equivalent criteria

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have received a lot of attention over the years as advanced physico-chemical polishing wastewater treatments to remove biorefractory pollutants. Additionally, many studies report their excellent degradation and mineralization performance as stand-alone technologies too, demonstrating the versatility of these processes; however, there is a lack of suitable methods to compare the performance (in terms of removal efficiency and operating costs) of different AOPs in the same conditions. In this context, the goal of this paper is to propose a systematic investigation by introducing a novel criterion, namely the accumulated oxygen-equivalent chemical-oxidation dose (AOCD), to systematically compare the diverse AOPs available: ozonation, H₂O₂ photolysis, Fenton, photo-Fenton, electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton (paired with anodic oxidation, for the latter two). For each of these, the cost efficiency was determined by optimizing the operating conditions for the removal of phenol, selected as a model pollutant (1.4 mM, equivalent to 100 mg-C L^-1). The operating costs considered sludge management, chemical use and electricity consumption. Among all AOPs, electro-Fenton was the most cost-effective (108 - 125 € m^-3), notwithstanding the mineralization target (50%, 75% and 99%), owing to its electrocatalytic behavior. Chemical Fenton proved competitive too up to 50% of mineralization, meaning that it could also be considered as a cost-effective pre-treatment solution. AOCD was the lowest for electro-Fenton, which could be attributed to its excellent faradaic yield, while UV-based processes generally required the highest dose. The AOCD criterion could serve as a baseline for AOP comparison and prove useful for the legislator to determine the "best available techniques" as defined by the Industrial Emissions European Union Directive 2010/75/EU.

Application of Chelating Agents to Enhance Fenton Process in Soil Remediation: A Review

Persistent organic contaminants affecting soil and groundwater pose a significant threat to ecosystems and human health. Fenton oxidation is an efficient treatment for removing these pollutants in the aqueous phase at acidic pH. However, the in-situ application of this technology for soil remediation (where pHs around neutrality are required) presents important limitations, such as catalyst (iron) availability and oxidant (H2O2) stability. The addition of chelating agents (CAs), forming complexes with Fe and enabling Fenton reactions under these conditions, so-called chelate-modified Fenton process (MF), tries to overcome the challenges identified in conventional Fenton. Despite the growing interest in this technology, there is not yet a critical review compiling the information needed for its real application. The advantages and drawbacks of MF must be clarified, and the recent achievements should be shared with the scientific community. This review provides a general overview of the application of CAs to enhance the Fenton process for the remediation of soils polluted with the most common organic contaminants, especially for a deep understanding of the activation mechanisms and influential factors. The existing shortcomings and research needs have been highlighted. Finally, future research perspectives on the use of CAs in MF and recommendations have been provided.

Defect-boosted molybdenite-based co-catalytic Fenton reaction

High-defect molybdenite acts an efficient co-catalyst to substantially enhance the Fenton reaction.

Heterogeneous Fenton-Like Catalytic Degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid by Nano-Scale Zero-Valent Iron Assembled on Magnetite Nanoparticles

Fe0@Fe3O4 nanoparticles with dispersibility and stability better than single nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) were synthesized and combined with hydrogen peroxide to constitute a heterogeneous Fenton-like system, which was creatively applied in the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The effects of different reaction conditions like pH, hydrogen peroxide concentration, temperature, and catalyst dosage on the removal of 2,4-D were evaluated. The target pollutant was completely removed in 90min; nearly 66% of them could be mineralized, and the main intermediate product was 2,4-dichlorophenol. Synergistic effects between nZVI and Fe3O4 made the 2,4-D degradation efficiency in the Fe0@Fe3O4/H2O2 system greater than in either of them alone. More than a supporter, Fe3O4 could facilitate the degradation process by releasing ferrous and ferric ions from the inner structure. The reduction of 2,4-D was mainly attributed to hydroxyl radicals including surface-bound ∙OH and free ∙OH in solution and was dominated by the former. The possible mechanism of this Fe0@Fe3O4 activated Fenton-like system was proposed.

Accelerated oxidation of microcystin-LR by Fe(II)-tetrapolyphosphate/oxygen in the presence of magnesium and calcium ions

Fe(II)-tetrapolyphosphate complexes are known to activate molecular oxygen (Fe(II)-TPP/O₂) to produce reactive oxidants (most likely, Fe(IV)-TPP complexes) that are capable of degrading refractory organic contaminants in water. This study found that magnesium and calcium ions (Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) accelerate the degradation of micfrocystin-LR (MC-LR), the most toxic and abundant cyanotoxin, by the Fe(II)-TPP/O₂ system. The addition of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ increased the observed rate constant of MC-LR degradation by up to 4.3 and 14.8 folds, respectively. Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ accelerated the MC-LR degradation in the entire pH range, except for the alkaline region with pH > ca. 10. The addition of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ also reshaped the pH-dependency of the MC-LR degradation, greatly increasing the rate of MC-LR degradation at neutral pH. It was found that Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ accelerate the reaction of Fe(II)-TPP complexes with oxygen, resulting in faster production of reactive oxidants. The findings from cyclic voltammetry and potentiometric titration suggest that Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ form ternary complexes with Fe(II)-TPP, which exhibit higher reactivity with oxygen. Due to the effects of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, the rate of MC-LR degradation by the Fe(II)-TPP/O₂ system was even higher in natural water than in deionized water.

Organics removal and in-situ granule activated carbon regeneration in FBR-Fenton/GAC process for reverse osmosis concentrate treatment

Fluidized bed reactor Fenton (FBR-Fenton) process was adopted for reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) treatment with three types of carriers, including sand, zeolite and granular activated carbon (GAC). Adsorption studies demonstrated that GAC achieved the best adsorption performance (maximum COD removal of 78% in 15 h) among the three carriers, and the adsorption of ROC organic matters followed a two-stage adsorption model. Fenton oxidations were carried out in three fluidized beds after column saturation, and FBR-Fenton/GAC process achieved highest COD removal (72%) and most BOD₅/COD ratio enhancement (from 0.03 to 0.3) in ROC. Long-term operation data demonstrated good performance stability of GAC as the carrier. In addition, GAC fluidized bed obtained highest total iron removal rate via iron crystallization process. Continuous in-situ GAC regeneration with more than 90% recoveries of surface area, pore volume and adsorption capacity were observed along the ROC treatment with FBR-Fenton/GAC process. Mechanism studies revealed that better COD removal performance in FBR-Fenton/GAC process was attributed to the combining effects of homogenous Fenton reaction, GAC adsorption and GAC/H₂O₂ catalytic reaction.

Comparison of real wastewater oxidation with Fenton/Fenton-like and persulfate activated by NaOH and Fe(II)

Treatment of polluted wastewaters from industrial activities has become a source of major concern for the environment. In this work, real wastewater from a physico-chemical (WWFQ) treatment was tested through different oxidation technologies: Fenton and Fenton-like reagent and persulfate activated by NaOH and Fe(II). Oxidation reactions with Fenton's reagent were carried out in a 0.25 L batch reactor at 25 °C by adding either Fe(II) or Fe(III) and H₂O₂ to an aqueous solution of wastewater, whose pH was previously adjusted to 2 or 3. Iron concentration ranging from 25 to 100 mg/L and peroxide concentration from 2500 to 10000 mg/L were used. The total organic carbon slightly decreased when WWFQ was treated. Moreover, better results were obtained when Fe(II) was used than Fe(III). Both iron concentration and oxidant dosage had a positive influence on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, until an asymptotic value of 30% was obtained. Oxidation of pollutants contained in WWFQ was studied with persulfate (18.4-294 mM) activated with NaOH and Fe(II) (36.8-588 mM). Again, a positive influence of both persulfate and NaOH was observed, although a similar asymptotic COD value was observed. This parallelism between both technologies confirms recalcitrant compounds were obtained.

Photo-Fenton-like degradation of bisphenol A by persulfate and solar irradiation

This work evaluates the feasibility of a solar-enhanced Fenton-like process using S₂O₈^2- (PS) and Fe²⁺ for the elimination of BPA, a model endocrine-disruption compound. This comparative study of BPA removal showed that among the approaches employed, the effectiveness of BPA degradation (10 mg/L) decreased in the order: Solar/PS/Fe²⁺> Solar/PS > PS/Fe²⁺> Solar/Fe²⁺> Solar. The complete degradation of BPA was achieved by Solar/PS/Fe²⁺ treatment at a [PS]:[BPA] ratio of 20 in less than t_30W 5 in deionised water. The high efficiency of the Solar/PS/Fe²⁺ process revealed a synergistic effect (ϕ = 2.38) between the applied activation agents on the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent decomposition of BPA. The treatment was accompanied by total organic carbon (TOC) removal (44%) in 45 min. Sequential generation of reactive oxygen species has made Solar/PS/Fe²⁺ a kinetically effective process for removing BPA without accumulation of toxic intermediates. The reaction rate followed pseudo-first-order kinetics that increased with increasing PS and Fe²⁺ concentrations. Experimental evidence suggests that exposure to solar irradiation maintains suitable quantities of free Fe²⁺ in the reaction mixture, even at low catalyst concentrations (the molar ratio of [PS]:[Fe²⁺] varied from 1:0.01 to 1:0.08). The effects of HCO₃^-, SO₄^2-, and Cl^- were also examined. As expected, HCO₃^- and SO₄^2- inhibited BPA oxidation. The effect of Cl^- on the oxidation efficiency of BPA in Fenton-like systems depends not only on actual Cl^- concentrations but it is also highly influenced by molar ratios of Cl^- to oxidant and catalyst. Inhibition, which was caused by Cl^- in the mM range can be overcome by prolonging the reaction time or increasing the initial Fe²⁺concentration. Finally, the efficiency of Solar/PS/Fe²⁺ process was examined in diluted natural surface water and wastewater effluent. On eliminating the buffering action of HCO₃^-/CO₃^2- ions by lowering the pH value to 4.5, complete BPA degradation was achieved in all real water matrices.

Quantum chemical calculation of free radical substitution reaction mechanism of camptothecin

Free radical substitution reaction, which has low energy barrier and takes place in mild reaction conditions, is an important method for camptothecin's modification. The experimental data show that the free radical substitution reaction of camptothecin has high site selectivity, and prefers to take place at site 7. Up to now, few researches focus on the mechanism of it. In this study, the differences of the reaction rate constant (k) for the reactions at different sites, such as site of 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, were investigated with B3LYP of density functional theory at the 6-31 + G (d, p) base set level and CPCM aqueous solvent model. It was found that the substitution reaction can be carried out in two steps in acidic condition. First, the methyl radical attacks the corresponding site to form an intermediate having methyl radical combined with the camptothecin skeleton, and then a hydrogen atom was abstracted by the singlet oxygen to form methyl camptothecin, wherein the first step was the rate control step of the reaction. The results show that site 7 has the higherreaction rate constant (k) than other examined sites, indicating that the reaction tends to take place on site 7 position, which is in agreement with the experimental results.

Treatment of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation in synergy with advanced oxidation process

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are very tenacious wastewater contaminants. The consequences of their existence have been acknowledged for negatively affecting the ecosystem with specific impact upon endocrine disruption and hormonal diseases in humans. Their recalcitrance and circumvention of nearly all the known wastewater treatment procedures are also well documented. The reported successes of POPs treatment using various advanced technologies are not without setbacks such as low degradation efficiency, generation of toxic intermediates, massive sludge production, and high energy expenditure and operational cost. However, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently recorded successes in the treatment of POPs in wastewater. AOPs are technologies which involve the generation of OH radicals for the purpose of oxidising recalcitrant organic contaminants to their inert end products. This review provides information on the existence of POPs and their effects on humans. Besides, the merits and demerits of various advanced treatment technologies as well as the synergistic efficiency of combined AOPs in the treatment of wastewater containing POPs was reported. A concise review of recently published studies on successful treatment of POPs in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation technology in combination with other advanced oxidation processes is presented with the highlight of direction for future research focus.

Removal of phosphonates from industrial wastewater with UV/FeII, Fenton and UV/Fenton treatment

Phosphonates are an important group of phosphorus-containing compounds due to their increasing industrial use and possible eutrophication potential. This study involves investigations into the methods UV/Fe^II, Fenton and UV/Fenton for their removal from a pure water matrix and industrial wastewaters. It could be shown that the degradability of phosphonates by UV/Fe^II (6 kWh/m³) in pure water crucially depended on the pH and was higher the less phosphonate groups a phosphonate contains. The UV/Fe^II method is recommended in particular for the treatment of concentrates with nitrogen-free phosphonates, only little turbidity and a low content of organic compounds. Using Fenton reagent, the degradation of polyphosphonates was relatively weak in a pure water matrix (<20% transformation to o-PO₄^3-). By means of the Photo-Fenton method (6 kWh/m³), those phosphonates with the smallest numbers of phosphonate groups were easier degraded as well at pH 3.5 in a pure water matrix (o-PO₄^3- formation rates of up to 80%). Despite an incomplete transformation of organically bound phosphorus to o-PO₄^3- with Fenton reagent in an organically highly polluted wastewater (max. 15%), an almost total removal of the total P occurred. The most efficient total P elimination rates were achieved in accordance with the following Fenton implementation: reaction → sludge separation (acidic) → neutralization of the supernatant → sludge separation (neutral). Accordingly, a neutralization directly after the reaction phase led to a lower total P removal extent.

Innovative Self-Cleaning and Biocompatible Polyester Textiles Nano-Decorated with Fe-N-Doped Titanium Dioxide

The development of innovative technologies to modify natural textiles holds an important impact for medical applications, including the prevention of contamination with microorganisms, particularly in the hospital environment. In our study, Fe and N co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles have been obtained via the hydrothermal route, at moderate temperature, followed by short thermal annealing at 400 °C. These particles were used to impregnate polyester (PES) materials which have been evaluated for their morphology, photocatalytic performance, antimicrobial activity against bacterial reference strains, and in vitro biocompatibility on human skin fibroblasts. Microscopic examination and quantitative assays have been used to evaluate the cellular morphology and viability, cell membrane integrity, and inflammatory response. All treated PES materials specifically inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacilli strains after 15 min of contact, being particularly active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PES fabrics treated with photocatalysts did not affect cell membrane integrity nor induce inflammatory processes, proving good biocompatibility. These results demonstrate that the treatment of PES materials with TiO₂-1% Fe–N particles could provide novel biocompatible fabrics with short term protection against microbial colonization, demonstrating their potential for the development of innovative textiles that could be used in biomedical applications for preventing patients’ accidental contamination with microorganisms from the hospital environment.

Hypochlorous acid as a precursor of free radicals in living systems

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is produced in the human body by the family of mammalian heme peroxidases, mainly by myeloperoxidase, which is secreted by neutrophils and monocytes at sites of inflammation. This review discusses the reactions that occur between HOCl and the major classes of biologically important molecules (amino acids, proteins, nucleotides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and inorganic substances) to form free radicals. The generation of such free radical intermediates by HOCl and other reactive halogen species is accompanied by the development of halogenative stress, which causes a number of socially important diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, infectious, and other diseases usually associated with inflammatory response and characterized by the appearance of biomarkers of myeloperoxidase and halogenative stress. Investigations aimed at elucidating the mechanisms regulating the activity of enzyme systems that are responsible for the production of reactive halogen species are a crucial step in opening possibilities for control of the development of the body's inflammatory response.

Evaluation of the efficiency of the photo Fenton disinfection of natural drinking water source during the rainy season in the Sahelian region

The photo-disinfection of water from two different wells (W1, pH: 4.6-5.1 ± 0.02) and (W2 pH: 5.6-5.7 ± 0.02) was carried out during the rainy season at Ouagadougou-Burkina Faso, West Africa. The weather variation during the rainy season significantly affects the photo-disinfection processes (solar disinfection and photo-Fenton). The dilution of the water by rainwater highly affected the chemical composition of the wells' water used in this study; very low iron contents Compared to the ones recorded during the dry season were recorded in all water samples. Both photo-disinfection processes were used to treat 25 L of water in a compound parabolic collector (CPC). None of them have shown the total inactivation of both wild enteric bacteria strains (total coliforms/E. coli and Salmonella spp.) involved in the treatment. However, the total coliforms/E. coli strains were totally inactivated during the exposure under most of the photo-Fenton treatment. Also, the remaining strains, especially those of Salmonella spp. were achieved during the subsequent 24h of dark storage under the action of the Fenton process. Under uniquely solar radiation, total inactivation was recorded only in the total coliforms/E. coli strains. The impact of the available irradiance on the efficiency of the photo-Fenton disinfection of natural water was highlighted during the exposure under high intermittent solar radiation. The impact of the HCO3(-) concentration of both wells' water on the evolution of the pH during the photo-disinfection was recorded. Drastic decrease was noticed after the initial fast increase in presence of low HCO3(-) concentration while a steady state was observed after the increase in presence of higher concentration. The redox activities of the nitrogen components of the water during both photo-disinfection processes have led to increased concentration of nitrite in all the cases and variations were noticed in that of nitrate and ammonia.

Automatic dosage of hydrogen peroxide in solar photo-Fenton plants: development of a control strategy for efficiency enhancement

The solar photo-Fenton process is widely used for the elimination of pollutants in aqueous effluent and, as such, is amply cited in the literature. In this process, hydrogen peroxide represents the highest operational cost. Up until now, manual dosing of H(2)O(2) has led to low process performance. Consequently, there is a need to automate the hydrogen peroxide dosage for use in industrial applications. As it has been demonstrated that a relationship exists between dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and hydrogen peroxide consumption, DO can be used as a variable in optimising the hydrogen peroxide dosage. For this purpose, a model was experimentally obtained linking the dynamic behaviour of DO to hydrogen peroxide consumption. Following this, a control system was developed based on this model. This control system - a proportional and integral controller (PI) with an anti-windup mechanism - has been tested experimentally. The assays were carried out in a pilot plant under sunlight conditions and with paracetamol used as the model pollutant. In comparison with non-assisted addition methods (a sole initial or continuous addition), a decrease of 50% in hydrogen peroxide consumption was achieved when the automatic controller was used, driving an economic saving and an improvement in process efficiency.

The effect of pyrophosphate, tripolyphosphate and ATP on the rate of the Fenton reaction

It has been recently reported that pyrophosphate, tri-polyphosphate, ATP and analogous ligands considerably decrease the yield of hydroxyl radicals by the Fenton reaction under conditions where [H(2)O(2)]>>[Fe(II)L(n)]. It was suggested that this effect is due to the slowing down of the Fenton reaction by these ligands. This suggestion seemed surprising as polyphosphate ligands stabilize Fe(III). Indeed, a kinetic study points out that these ligands accelerate the rate of the Fenton reaction by several orders of magnitude. Thus it is suggested that the effect of the ligands on the yield of the hydroxyl radicals is due to the stabilization of the Fe(III) complexes which slows down, or inhibits, their reduction by the radicals formed in the system and thus decreases the overall yield of hydroxyl radicals.

Photo-Fenton decomposition of chlorfenvinphos: determination of reaction pathway

The purpose of this work was to determine the degradation products and pathway of chlorfenvinphos (CFVP) in water treated by photo-Fenton driven by solar irradiation, as well as to develop an analytical procedure for the degradation experiments. Degradation products and pathway were determined in a laboratory experimental setup. Routine water sample analysis was done by standard laboratory wet chemistry procedures and the use of laboratory equipment such as HPLC-UV and ionic chromatography (IC). Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to extract analytes from an aqueous matrix, and GC-MS was used to identify intermediate degradation products. The use of an HPLC-TOF-MS provided more results on degradation products and more insight was gained into how degradation takes place. In all experiments, strong mineralisation and degradation of CFVP was observed. CFVP and its degradation products, like 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid and triethylphosphate were decomposed into organic substances like acetate, formate, maleate, and inorganic ions like chloride and phosphate, within the detection limits (12.5 microg/L for CFVP in the GC-MS and 40 microg/L in HPLC-UV) of the equipment used. In fact, Cl(-) emerges in nearly stoichiometric concentrations and PO(4)(3)(-) is precipitated as FePO(4). The remarkably complete absence of chlorinated aliphatic substances and chlorinated acids leads to the conclusion that chlorine is removed very quickly, and that residual DOC does not correspond to any chlorinated compound.

pH effects on iron-catalyzed oxidation using Fenton's reagent

This work extends investigations into the development and use of a kinetic model to simulate and improve the iron-catalyzed oxidation of organic compounds using Fenton's reagent. While a number of recent studies have successfully modeled the kinetics and species behavior in simple Fenton systems, none have extended and applied the model to examine the effect of operating parameters such as pH on treatment performance. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of pH in Fenton-based oxidation systems and to use kinetic modeling to gain insight into the reaction mechanism and speciation of the iron catalyst. Laboratory experiments were conducted across a range of starting concentrations of Fe(II) and H2O2 at pHs of 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0, both in the presence and absence of a target organic, formic acid (HCOOH). With minor modifications, the model presented is capable of accurately describing changes in Fe(II) concentrations over a wide range of reaction conditions and, provided account is taken of additional hydroxyl radical scavenging pathways, also accounts for the oxidation of formic acid over extended reaction times at all pHs considered. The use of composite values for rate constants of reactions involving weakly acidic species is shown to be appropriate, and analysis of the model reveals the catalytic role iron plays in the oxidation process. Experimental and simulated data at the different pHs highlights the effect the catalytic redox cycling of iron has on the performance and oxidation capacity of the Fenton system.