Electro-Fenton as a feasible advanced treatment process to produce reclaimed water
Durán Moreno, A.; Frontana-Uribe, B.A.; Ramírez Zamora, R.M.
Water Science and Technology a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research 50(2): 83-90
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0273-1223 PMID: 15344777 Document Number: 572383
The feasibility of the electro-Fenton process to generate simultaneously both of the Fenton's reagent species (Fe2+/H2O2), was assessed as a potentially more economical alternative to the classical Fenton's reaction to produce reclaimed water. An air-saturated combined wastewater (mixture of municipal and laboratory effluents) was treated in discontinuous and continuous reactors at pH = 3.5. The discontinuous reactor was a 2 L electrochemical laboratory cell fitted with concentric graphite and iron electrodes. The continuous reactor tests used a pilot treatment system comprising the aforementioned electrochemical cell, two clarifiers and one sand filter. Several tests were carried out at different conditions of reaction time (0-60 min) and electrical current values (0.2-1.0 A) in the discontinuous reactor. The best operating conditions were 60 min and 1 A without filtration of effluents. At these conditions, in discontinuous and continuous reactors with filtration, the COD, turbidity and color removal were 65-74.8%, 77-92.3 % and 80-100%, respectively. Fecal and total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Shigella and Salmonella sp. were not detected at the end of the pilot treatment system. Electrogeneration of the Fenton's reagent is also economical; its cost is one-fifth the cost reported for Advanced Primary Treatment.