Removal of Paracetamol Using Effective Advanced Oxidation Processes

Abstract

Fenton, photo-Fenton, and photo-induced oxidation, were investigated and compared for the treatment of 0.26 mmol L−1 of paracetamol (PCT) in a deionised water matrix, during a reaction span of 120.0 min. Low and high Fenton reagent loads were studied. Particularly, the initial concentration of Fe2+ was varied between 0.09 and 0.18 mmol L−1 while the initial concentration of H2O2 was varied between 2.78 and 11.12 mmol L−1. The quantitative performance of these treatments was evaluated by: (i) measuring PCT concentration; (ii) measuring and modelling TOC conversion, as a means characterizing sample mineralization; and (iii) measuring cytotoxicity to assess the safe application of each treatment. In all cases, organic matter mineralization was always partial, but PCT concentration fell below the detection limit within 2.5 and 20.0 min. The adopted semi-empirical model revealed that photo induced oxidation is the only treatment attaining total organic matter mineralization ( ξ MAX = 100% in 200.0 min) at the expense of the lowest kinetic constant (k = 0.007 min−1). Conversely, photo-Fenton treatment using high Fenton reagent loads gave a compromise solution ( ξ MAX = 73% and k = 0.032 min−1). Finally, cytotoxicity assays proved the safe application of photo-induced oxidation and of photo-Fenton treatments using high concentrations of Fenton reagents.

Metal-Loaded Mesoporous MCM-41 for the Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (CWPO) of Acetaminophen

“…Therefore, the development of effective treatments to remove this contaminant in aquatic environments is an important environmental goal. Adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including photocatalysis and catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO), are among the most used methods for the removal of acetaminophen from water [8][9][10][11][12].…”

Kinetic Evaluation of Dye Decolorization by Fenton Processes in the Presence of 3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid

“…Due to such limitations, new alternatives are being sought in order to overcome the inefficiency of conventional techniques for removal or degradation of dyes. Advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) have demonstrated great efficiency in degrading recalcitrant organic pollutants [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. Among AOPs, those based on Fenton reactions are considered promising for dye degradation [13].…”

Comparison of Azithromycin Removal from Water Using UV Radiation, Fe (VI) Oxidation Process and ZnO Nanoparticles

“…where K T is the equilibrium binding constant (in L/mg) corresponding to maximum binding energy and the value increased with an increase in temperature for both the adsorbents, which is suggestive of the corresponding increase of maximum binding energy. Constant B 1 is related to the heat of adsorption [21]. The D-R isotherm, apart from being an analogue of the Langmuir isotherm, is more general than the Langmuir in that it rejects the homogenous surface or constant adsorption potential.…”

“…The molecular structure of azithromycin is shown in Figure 1. Among the various methods of antibiotic removal from aquatic solutions, the use of oxidants such as chlorine [ 18 ] , ozone [ 19 ] , chlorine dioxide [ 20 ] , advanced oxidation methods [21] and Fe (VI)…”

“…The process of chemical oxidation, coagulation and flocculation, as well as disinfection, can be performed in one unit when a Fe (VI) oxidation process is used [26]. Among the various methods of antibiotic removal from aquatic solutions, the use of oxidants such as chlorine [18], ozone [19], chlorine dioxide [20], advanced oxidation methods [21] and Fe (VI) [22] is the most common. Chlorine is a low cost oxidant that can remove antibiotics efficiently, but can also produce dangerous byproducts such as trihalomethanes [23], making it unsuitable for the removal of azithromycin from aquatic solutions.…”