Pathways of organic micropollutants degradation in atmospheric pressure plasma processing - A review

Chemosphere. 2022 May:294:133606. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133606. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Abstract

Concern of toxic compounds and their, potentially more harmful degradation products, present in aquatic environment alarmed scientific community and research on the development of novel technologies for wastewater treatment had become of great interest. Up to this date, many papers pointed out the challenges and limitations of conventional wastewater treatment and of some advanced oxidation processes. Advanced technologies based on the use of non-equilibrium or non-thermal plasma had been recognized as a possible solution for, not only degradation, but for complete removal of recalcitrant organic micropollutants. While previous review papers have been focused on plasma physics and chemistry of different types of discharges for few organic micropollutants, this paper brings comprehensive review of current knowledge on the chemistry and degradation pathways by using different non-thermal plasma types for several micropollutants' classes, such as pharmaceuticals, perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, phenols and dyes and points out some major research gaps.

Keywords: Advanced oxidation technologies; Degradation pathways; Non-equilibrium/non-thermal plasma types; Novel wastewater treatment procesess; Organic micropollutants; Removal.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Atmospheric Pressure
  • Pesticides*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid
  • Wastewater / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
  • Water Purification*

Substances

  • Pesticides
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical