Solar photoelectro-Fenton flow plant modeling for the degradation of the antibiotic erythromycin in sulfate medium

Abstract

A solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) plant containing a filter-press FM01-LC flow reactor in series with a compound parabolic collector (CPC) as photoreactor, operating in batch recirculation mode, was simulated using a parametric model. The degradation of 10 dm 3 of solutions of the heterocyclic antibiotic erythromycin (ERY) in 0.050 mol dm −3 Na 2 SO 4 at pH 3.0 was used for validation. The filter-press reactor contained a platinized titanium plate anode and a graphite-felt cathode that produced H 2 O 2 from the reduction of dissolved oxygen (0.24 mmol dm −3). Trials were performed under potentiostatic and galvanostatic conditions with predominance of H 2 O 2 production, minimizing H 2 evolution reaction. The effect of initial catalyst (Fe 2+) concentration, current density (j), initial antibiotic concentration as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and volumetric flow rate on the ERY mineralization was studied. Good agreement between simulations and experimental DOC decays was obtained. Mineralization current efficiencies and specific energy consumptions were also determined. The best performance under galvanostatic conditions was found for 0.225 mmol dm −3 ERY (100 mg dm −3 DOC), 0.50 mmol dm −3 Fe 2+ , volumetric flow rate of 3.0 dm 3 min −1 and j cath = 0.16 mA cm −2 , reaching 69% mineralization with current efficiency of 75% and specific energy consumption of 0.059 kWh (g DOC) −1. Six organic by-products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, whereas final short-chain carboxylic acids like formic and oxalic acid were detected by ion-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography. The initial N atom of ERY was predominantly converted into NO 3 − ion, although NH 4 + ion was formed as well.

On-site H2O2 electrogeneration at a CoS2-based air-diffusion cathode for the electrochemical degradation of organic pollutants

“…H 2 O 2 -based EAOPs have demonstrated great ability to degrade traces of pharmaceuticals. Acidic aqueous solutions of antibiotics such as sulfachloropyridazine [29], sulfanilamide [30], amoxicillin [31], levofloxacin [32], norfloxacin [33] and erythromycin [34] have been removed by EO-H 2 O 2 , EF and PEF with air sparged into solution, whereas the antibiotic sulfamethazine [35], anti-inflammatory naproxen [36] and antidepressant fluoxetine [37] have been treated in electrolytic cells equipped with a GDE.…”

Total mineralization of mixtures of Tartrazine, Ponceau SS and Direct Blue 71 azo dyes by solar photoelectro-Fenton in pre-pilot plant

“…Among the AOPs, great attention has been paid to the electrochemical AOPs (EAOPs) because of their simplicity along with high mineralization ability (Brillas et al, 2009;Panizza and Cerisola, 2009;Chaiyont et al, 2013;Oturan and Aaron, 2014;Sirés et al, 2014;Brillas and Martínez-Huitle, 2015;Moreira et al, 2017). Solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) has recently emerged as the most viable EAOP thanks to the combined action of generated OH and solar photons to remove organics from wastewater (Ruiz et al, 2011;Salazar et al, 2012;Pérez et al, 2017;Steter et al, 2018). It is more potent than other ubiquitous EAOPs like anodic oxidation (AO) and electro-Fenton (EF).…”

On the performance of HOCl/Fe2+, HOCl/Fe2+/UVA, and HOCl/UVC processes using in situ electrogenerated active chlorine to mineralize the herbicide picloram

“…Among the available methods to treat effluents contaminated with SOC, the ones based on generation of the non selective hydroxyl radicals (HO%) are usually the choice, such as Fenton based [15] and electrochemical processes [16] as well as their combination [17], due to the high oxidation power of HO% and production of less toxic byproducts [10]. The necessity to use acidic solutions and recovery of Fe 2+ ions are the main drawback of the Fenton based processes.…”