Simultaneous sulfadiazines degradation and disinfection from municipal secondary effluent by a flow-through electro-Fenton process with graphene-modified cathode

Gengbo Ren; Minghua Zhou; Pei Su; Weilu Yang; Xiaoye Lu; Yinqiao Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.01.109

Simultaneous sulfadiazines degradation and disinfection from municipal secondary effluent by a flow-through electro-Fenton process with graphene-modified cathode

J Hazard Mater. 2019 Apr 15:368:830-839. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.01.109. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Authors

Gengbo Ren¹, Minghua Zhou², Pei Su¹, Weilu Yang¹, Xiaoye Lu¹, Yinqiao Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China; Tianjin Advanced Water Treatment Technology International Joint Research Center, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Technology for Complex Trans-Media Pollution, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
² Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecology Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China; Tianjin Advanced Water Treatment Technology International Joint Research Center, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Technology for Complex Trans-Media Pollution, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China. Electronic address: zhoumh@nankai.edu.cn.

PMID: 30743230
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.01.109

Abstract

Conventionally the deep treatment and disinfection are fulfilled by different processes for municipal wastewater treatment, this work verified a breakthrough by one process of novel flow-through electro-Fenton (EF) with graphene-modified cathode, which is usually seemed to be ineffective. This process was firstly confirmed to be cost-effective for simultaneous sulfadiazines (SDZs) degradation and disinfection from municipal secondary effluent with a very low electrical energy consumption (EEC) of 0.21 kW h/m³, attributed to the high H₂O₂ production of 4.41 mg/h/cm² on the novel graphite felt cathode modified by electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEGr) with a low EEC of 3.08 kW h/(kg H₂O₂). Compared with the ineffective SDZs degradation by the conventional flow EF, this process was more cost-effective and overcame the harsh requirements on electrolyte concentration. It also showed good effectiveness in the degradation of different antibiotics, and the graphene-modified cathode still kept stable performance after eight consecutive runs. Account for the combined action of OH and active chlorine, the formation of hydroxylated and chlorine containing by-products was confirmed, and a possible degradation mechanism for SDZs was proposed. This flow-through EF process provided an alternative method for the disinfection and antibiotics degradation by one process for the treatment and reuse of municipal secondary effluent.

Keywords: Antibiotics removal; Disinfection; Flow-through electro-Fenton; Graphene modification; Municipal secondary effluent.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
Disinfection / methods*
Electrodes
Graphite / chemistry*
Hydrogen Peroxide / chemistry*
Iron / chemistry*
Sulfadiazine / chemistry*
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
Wastewater
Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Sulfadiazine
Graphite
Hydrogen Peroxide
Iron