A review on Fenton process for organic wastewater treatment based on optimization perspective

Meng-Hui Zhang; Hui Dong; Liang Zhao; De-Xi Wang; Di Meng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.180

A review on Fenton process for organic wastewater treatment based on optimization perspective

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Jun 20:670:110-121. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.180. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Authors

Meng-Hui Zhang¹, Hui Dong², Liang Zhao¹, De-Xi Wang³, Di Meng¹

Affiliations

¹ SEP Key Laboratory of Eco-industry, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819, China.
² SEP Key Laboratory of Eco-industry, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819, China. Electronic address: dongh@mail.neu.edu.cn.
³ School of Chemical Equipment, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819, China.

PMID: 30903886
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.180

Abstract

Water pollution caused by organic wastewater has become a serious concern worldwide. Fenton oxidation process is one of the most effective and suitable methods for the abatement of organic pollutants. However, the process has three obvious shortcomings: the narrow working pH range, the high costs and risks associated with handling, transportation and storage of reagents (H₂O₂ and catalyst), the significant iron sludge related second pollution. In order to overcome these shortcomings, various optimized Fenton processes have been widely studied. Therefore, a summary of the study status of Fenton optimization processes is necessary to develop a novel and high efficiency organic wastewater treatment method. Based on the optimization perspective, taking shortcomings of Fenton process as a breakthrough, the fundamentals, advantages and disadvantages of single Fenton optimization processes (heterogeneous Fenton, photo-Fenton and electro-Fenton) for organic wastewater treatment were reviewed and the corresponding reaction mechanism diagrams were drawn in this paper. Then, the feasibility and application of the coupled Fenton optimization processes (photoelectro-Fenton, heterogeneous electro-Fenton, heterogeneous photoelectro-Fenton, three-dimensional electro-Fenton) for organic wastewater treatment were discussed in depth. Additionally, the effect of some important operation parameters (pH and catalyst, H₂O₂, organic pollutants concentration) on the degradation efficiency of organic pollutants was studied to provide guidance for the optimization of operation parameters. Finally, the possible future research directions for optimized Fenton processes were given. The review aims to assist researchers and engineers to gain fundamental understandings and critical view of Fenton process and its optimization processes, and hopefully with the knowledge it could bring new opportunities for the optimization and future development of Fenton process.

Keywords: Advantages and disadvantages; Fenton process; Operation parameters; Optimization; Organic wastewater treatment.

Publication types

Review